Posts Tagged ‘Rangers’

Rangers, and Ross, off to sizzling start

Friday, April 27th, 2012

 

The Texas Rangers are sending a clear message to anyone wondering how they would recover from that crushing World Series loss.

There is no hangover effect.

The Rangers (15-4) entered Thursday’s off day with the best record in the majors. The two-time defending American League champions have won their first six series in a season for the first time in franchise history. They lead the majors in hitting (.295) and home runs (31), and have one of the top pitching staffs as well.

“They’ve put the World Series behind them … They feel like that they’re as good as any team in baseball,” team president Nolan Ryan said.

The Rangers’ 2.62 ERA is the AL’s best. Rookie and former LCA standout Robbie Ross (4-0), the only lefty in the bullpen though he wasn’t even in the team’s plans this spring, was tied for the major-league lead in victories. He is the first pitcher in the majors since at least 1918 to earn four relief wins in his first six career appearances.

Twins’ Parmelee OK after beaning

The Twins say first baseman Chris Parmelee “is doing well” a day after he was hit in the head by a pitch from Boston’s Justin Thomas. A Twins spokesman says Parmelee was examined again by team doctors on Thursday and showed no signs of a concussion. He is listed as day to day.

It was a scary scene in the sixth inning on Wednesday night. A fastball got away from Thomas, and Parmelee was unable to get out of the way before it hit the bill of his batting helmet. The impact made a loud noise and the ball ricocheted way over by the Red Sox bullpen.

Elbow surgery likely for Pelfrey

The Mets say starter Mike Pelfrey will likely have reconstructive elbow surgery that will sideline him until next year. Pelfrey has a partially torn ligament in his pitching elbow. He was put on the disabled list Tuesday when an MRI showed swelling in the joint. Pelfrey was 0-0 with a 2.29 ERA after three starts. He said he often felt “a little grab” in his arm on his first pitch of an inning Saturday, but then it would go away.

Short hops

â–  Albert Pujols went 1-for-4 Thursday, ending his hitless streak at a career-worst 21 at-bats. Pujols was thrown out attempting to stretch the single into a double. Pujols has not homered in 19 games and 76 at-bats this season. He’s homerless in 105 regular-season at-bats since Sept. 22, tying his longest drought. The three-time NL MVP is hitting .224 with a .280 on-base percentage after leaving St. Louis to sign a $240 million, 10-year contract with the Angels.

â–  Royals left-hander Danny Duffy will miss his scheduled start against Minnesota on Friday because of tightness in his throwing elbow. The injury isn’t considered serious and the Royals expect Duffy to start next week against Detroit. He’s 1-2 with a 3.63 ERA in three starts.

â–  The Tigers released slumping third baseman Brandon Inge after a 5-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. The 34-year-old Inge is batting .100 (2-for-20) with a home run and two RBI this season, his 12th in the majors.

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Texas Rangers: Offseason Review / Season Preview

Monday, March 28th, 2011

Offseason Recap: It was an interesting winter for the American League champs, which can be summarized in large part by three key moves:

Added: SP Brandon Webb (by way of: Arizona), RP Arthur Rhodes (Cincinnati), C Mike Napoli (Toronto via Los Angeles), C Yorvit Torrealba (San Diego), 3B Adrian Beltre (Boston)

Retained: C Matt Treanor

Lost: SP Cliff Lee (Philadelphia), SP Rich Harden (Oakland), RP Frank Francisco (Toronto), C Bengie Molina (retirement), OF Jeff Francouer (Kansas City), OF Vlad Guerrero (Baltimore)

Offseason Recap: It was an interesting winter for the American League champs, which can be summarized in large part by three key moves:

1-   They basically swapped Cliff Lee for Adrian Beltre, a reasonable move considering the money involved. Lee is a workhorse and the responsibility of replacing him will need to be spread among either inexperienced arms (think Derek Holland) or aging vets (Webb).

2-   They also dealt Frank Francisco to Toronto for Mike Napoli.

3-   They watched Vlad Guerrero walk away to sign with Baltimore. Although replacing Vlad and his 2011 OPS+ of 122 won’t be simple, the Rangers offer a treasure trove of offensive talent.

Starting Nine: With many fantasy leagues holding their drafts this week, here are the nine Rangers that should be targeted first (projections are combination of Bill James + Marcel + my own formula):

1-   Adrian Beltre,3B: 30 HR / 90 R / 100 RBI / 10 SB / .305 BA

2-   Josh Hamilton, OF: 28 / 90 / 99 / 5 / .320

3-   Nelson Cruz, OF: 28 / 75 / 90 / 20 / .285

4-   Ian Kinsler, 2B: 18 / 100 / 65 / 20 / .270

5-   Neftali Feliz, P: 2 W / 35 S / 1.00 WHIP / 2.00 ERA / 88 K

6-   Mike Napoli, C/1B: 25 / 60 / 65 / 3 / .245

7-   Elvis Andrus, SS: 4 / 90 / 45 / 30 / .270

8-   CJ Wilson, SP: 13 / 0 / 1.25 / 3.90 / 165

9-   Julio Borbon, OF: 2 / 60 / 40 / 35 / .290

-Notice, seven of the nine players listed are hitters (numbers 10 and 11 would be too – Mitch Moreland and David Murphy)

-Here are the Rangers ranks among all of MLB in the standard 5×5 categories during 2010:

Batting Average: 1st

Runs: 5th

Home Runs: 10th

Stolen Bases: 7th

RBI: 7th

Swapping Beltre for Lee will only exacerbate the hitting-pitching divide but it will strengthen this beastly lineup.

Last year’s pitching numbers weren’t too shabby, but the loss of Lee will certainly hurt.

Wins: 8th

Saves: 4th

Strikeouts: 13th

ERA: 10th

WHIP: 11th

-If I were taking a flier on a pitcher, it would be Alexi Ogando. With Texas toying with the idea of adding Feliz to the rotation, Ogando would be next in line for save opportunities.

-Whatever you do, stay away from Brandon Webb. It’s been almost two years since he has thrown in a Major League game. Let someone else take the risk on him.

-Injuries are an issue to consider. The top five players on my fantasy target list all missed time in 2010 with injuries.

Projected Lineup:

Kinsler, 2B

Andrus, SS

Hamilton, LF

Beltre, 3B

Cruz, RF

Young, DH

Napoli, C

Moreland, 1B

Borbon, CF

Projected Rotation:

Wilson

Tommy Hunter (avoid)

Colby Lewis (avoid)

Holland

Matt Harrison

Others to Watch:

Chris Davis: The first base job was his to lose in 2010, and he did just that. He could be a huge source of power if given the at bats. Might they come while wearing another uniform?

Derek Holland: He started 10 games last season and posted an impressive 8.5 / K per 9. He has a rotation spot locked down and warrants consideration anytime after Round 15.

Team (and League?) MVP: Adrian Beltre will win the American League MVP trophy. Surely, he will not be a popular pick, but there are a number of positive trends that strike me.

This offseason as a free agent, Beltre stated his preference to play his home games in a warm climate. Arlington offers just that. Rangers Ballpark has also been a hitters’ paradise (by home run metrics) in every season since 2002.

Over the last nine seasons, Beltre has averaged 25 home runs while playing stellar defense at the hot corner. He has also averaged 149 games played, a staggeringly high number for a player that has a(n unwarranted) reputation for being brittle.

Slotting him into a lineup that features reigning American League MVP Josh Hamilton, rising star Nelson Cruz, uber-talented but oft-injured Ian Kinsler, and steady Michael Young among others will give Beltre the opportunity to drive in a copious number of runs.

Naysayers will point to the fact Beltre has produced his best numbers in contract years. However, the sample size is extremely small, and the correlation is almost impossible to prove. Is it reasonable that a player saves “another gear” for contract years? I would hope as a fan of the game this was not the case.

Another point to consider – although it likely has no fantasy relevance to you – is the increased emphasis on defense in the game. Teams have come to realize just how important run prevention is as it relates to winning ballgames. Although it will not play a major factor in the MVP voting, a defensive wizard, like Beltre, might get a slight bump in the mind of voters.

2011 Storylines:

-Will Michael Young be a Ranger three months from now? Let’s hope so because the team plans to play him all over the diamond making him an extremely useful multi-position-eligible player.

-The “Runner-up” Curse strikes much worse in football, but in the last five years, only one team that lost the World Series even qualified for the playoffs during the following season:

2005: Houston (did not make playoffs)

2006: Detroit (did not make playoffs)

2007: Colorado (did not make playoffs)

2008: Tampa Bay (did not make playoffs)

2009: Philadelphia (lost in 2010 NLCS)

Can the 2011 Rangers buck the trend?

I think the locals would be happy if the team stayed competitive all season especially when you consider the fact that the team had never won a home playoff game in its 28 years of existence.

Prediction: After another midseason acquisition of dependable number two starter, the Rangers will go 90-72 and win the division by six games.

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Fantasy Baseball 2011: American League West Preview.

Monday, January 31st, 2011

After coming up short in the 2010 World Series the Texas Rangers reloaded for what appears to be another good run at the World Series.

Fantasy Baseball:  American League West Preview

Los Angeles Angels
Key Arrivals: OF Vernon Wells
Back for 2011: INF Alberto Callaspo, C Jeff Mathis, 1B Kendry Morales, SS Erick Aybar, 2B Howie Kendrick
Key Departures: C/1B Mike Napoli, OF Juan Rivera, DH/OF Hideki Matsui

Fantasy Impact: The Angels had a relatively quiet offseason prior to last week’s big trade that sent Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera to the Blue Jays for outfielder Vernon Wells.  This was more of a desperation move for the Angels after their hard pursuit of Carl Crawford came up short.  Vernon Wells’ better years are definitely past him, but can have a productive fantasy season as seen in the past from other veteran outfielders that have passed through the Angels outfield.  The loss of Napoli sets up Jeff Mathis to take on the workload which makes him a solid late-round catcher to draft.  Mathis was able to produce when he was given the opportunity last season and with a full season of work could be a steal.  It appears that the Brandon Wood era at third base is officially over after the Angels signed Callaspo last month.  He was a solid fill-in player last season and should once again be able to hit for average and show some speed on the base paths.  Bobby Abreu will now become the Angels full-time designated hitter which should help him stay healthy for the whole season plus he will still have outfield eligibility so you won’t have to use him in a utility slot.  The starting rotation will be the same as what the team finished with last season while Francisco Rodney will now have a full season to record saves.  Though Rodney usually has a high ERA, he is still a viable source of saves as shown in years prior.

Oakland Athletics
Key Arrivals: DH/OF Hideki Matsui, OF Josh Willingham, LHP Brian Fuentes, RHP Rich Harden
Back for 2011: OF Coco Crisp, 2B Mark Ellis, OF Conor Jackson, RHP Brad Ziegler, LHP Dallas Braden
Key Departures: DH Jack Cust, 3B Eric Chavez, OF Rajai Davis, OF Travis Buck

Fantasy Impact:  The Athletics made plenty of moves this offseason, but none being attention grabbing.  The addition of Hideki Matsui meant the end of the road for Jack Cust who has underperformed for the majority of the last few years.  Matsui is close to the end of his career but can still hit a decent amount of home runs.  The losses of Rajai Davis and Travis Buck made move for newly acquired Josh Willingham to fill the void.  The Athletics had an over abundance of outfielders last season and now looks to have a solid first team rounded out by Coco Crisp and Conor Jackson who both agreed to stay on with the team.  All three outfielders should be able to make a case for fantasy relevance with the major concern being their health.  The acquisition of Rich Harden was interesting as Harden may become a full-time bullpen pitcher if he can’t perform in spring training.  Harden is not a pitcher you want to draft by any means however his high strikeout totals when he is pitching his best are enticing.  The Athletics rounded out their bullpen with lefty Brian Fuentes who will be insurance for closer Andrew Bailey if he fails to stay healthy this season.  Bailey owners should consider drafting Fuentes based on Bailey’s health history plus Fuentes is only two years removed from leading the league in saves.

Seattle Mariners
Key Arrivals: C Miguel Olivo, SS Brendan Ryan
Back for 2011: INF Josh Wilson, LHP Erik Bedard, RHP David Aardsma, RHP Brandon League
Key Departures: INF Jose Lopez, DH Russell Branyan, LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith

Fantasy Impact: In rebuilding mode the Mainers made only a few small moves to try and round out their ballclub to be competitive for the 2011 season and to attempt to replenish their farm system.  The biggest offseason move was the acquisition of catcher Miguel Olivo, who has had back-to-back successful seasons behind the dish for both his actual team and fantasy teams.  Now that he will be away from Coors Field he may see declines in batting average and home runs, but he is the type of player you can wait on if you don’t get a top 10 catcher and should feel confident about.  The re-signing of Erik Bedard was a very interesting move as he has failed to live up to the expectations the Mariners had for him three seasons ago.  The biggest concern with Bedard is his injury-plagued past and should be considered when thinking about taking him this season.  He is said to be fully healthy for the start of spring training but then again it is Bedard we are talking about.  The ninth inning will once again be locked down by David Aardsma but will be on a short leash with closer-in-waiting Brandon League in a close second.  League is probably the best and most talented relief pitcher that the Mariners have so only time will tell when the ball will be passed to League in the ninth.

Texas Rangers
Key Arrivals: 3B Adrian Beltre, C Yorvit Torrealba, C Mike Napoli, RHP Brandon Webb
Back for 2011: C Matt Treanor, OF Nelson Cruz, LHP C.J. Wilson
Key Departures: DH Vladimir Guerrero, LHP Cliff Lee, RHP, Rich Harden RHP Frank Francisco

Fantasy Impact: After coming up short in the 2010 World Series the Rangers reloaded for what appears to be another good run at the title.  The addition of Adrian Beltre was their major headliner this offseason and should pay immediate dividends.  Beltre was ranked among the top third basemen in almost every category in 2010 and should see similar production in the hitter-friendly Ballpark at Arlington.  With Beltre on board, the Rangers let Vladimir Guerrero walk while Michael Young trade talks are rumored often.  If Young ends up staying with the Rangers he will be the team’s designated hitter which should prevent him from missing time due to injury.  Shortly after being dealt to the Blue Jays, catcher Mike Napoli found himself packing his bags and heading to Arlington.  Napoli has shown his power potential the last two seasons may be the missing piece that the Rangers have been trying to desperately fill the last few seasons.  Brandon Webb signed on to join the Rangers starting rotation which could turn into a steal for the ball club.  Webb did not pitch in 2010, but is only a few years removed from wining Cy Young honors, so he is worth taking a shot on in late-rounds of fantasy drafts.

*All transactions as of January 26, 2011

Matthew Beck is a Fantasy Sports Columnist for Rotoinfo.com. If you have any questions or comments feel free to e-mail him at matthewbeck@rotoinfo.com.  Also follow him on Twitter @MatthewRBeck for up-to-date Q&A and fantasy information.

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