Rangers Enter Spring Training With High Expectations

After an improbable run to the American League West championship last year, hope springs eternal for the Texas Rangers as spring training looms.

October 4th, 2015 was a sun-dappled afternoon in Arlington, Texas. The Texas Rangers were desperately clinging to a one game lead over the Houston Astros in the divisional race. All that stood between them and the American League West crown was a final day matchup against the Anaheim Angels. Pitcher Cole Hamels, who’d been acquired at the trade deadline, took the mound to try and secure a post season berth.

Hamels looked shaky in giving up a two-run homer in the top of the first. The Rangers countered with a run in the bottom of the inning. From there, Hamels settled in and proceeded to hurl a gem. The Rangers offense seized the lead in the fifth, and then blew the game open with a six-run seventh inning en route to a 9-2 final and a jubilant celebration in front of the home crowd.

The Rangers then went on to clash with the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Divisional Series. After winning the first two games, the Toronto bats caught up to Ranger pitching. Yet only a truly bizarre Game 5 loss separated them from reaching baseball’s final four.

Keep in mind that last year wasn’t supposed to end that way. As disappointing as it was to see them lose to the Blue Jays, the Rangers’ fan base couldn’t help but feeling that the season was a resounding success. A horrendously putrid start seemingly buried them at the bottom of the AL West standings. But as everyone left them for dead–present company included–they turned their season around.

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A new baseball season approaches, and the very Rangers that once seemed destined for mediocrity now harbor some lofty goals. This squad is poised to improve on last season’s unlikely run. Staff ace Yu Darvish, set to return by early June at the latest, even told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Jeff Wilson that he “feel(s) like [he] could throw 95 right now.”

What the Rangers cannot afford now is a start similar to the one they endured last year. As the saying goes, you can’t win a pennant in April, but you can surely lose one. For this team to contend, they need to come out firing on all cylinders.

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo must remain the on-base machine the Rangers signed him to be. Another lethargic start would undo everything he came to mean to the organization as last season wore on. Shortstop Elvis Andrus must avoid mental lapses on defense and cannot go almost three weeks into the season batting under .200 as he did last year.

Sustained contributions from designated hitter Prince Fielder and first baseman Mitch Moreland must continue in order for the Rangers to seriously contend again. Third baseman Adrian Beltre needs to be, well, Adrian Beltre. Despite diminishing numbers–especially in slugging percentage–he is the unquestioned leader of the team. He runs the Rangers’ locker room, and the whole team feeds off him.

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What is not in doubt is the chemistry of this club. They stuck together through it all last year and came out a lot stronger for it. With pitchers and catchers reporting on February 18th, it’s okay to start looking forward to the promise of a new season, opening day, and the optimism that comes with it all.