SI MLB Preview: How Will the Texas Rangers Fare in 2020?
It's that time of the year again. Baseball season is upon us. That means everyone gets to look into their crystal ball and make their predictions of how teams will finish the season.
With the six-month marathon of a baseball season, there are so many variables that can screw up a prediction with just one mishap in April. That still doesn't keep us baseball writers from taking a stab at how use our expertise to predict how the teams we cover are going to fare season in and season out.
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READ the full Texas Rangers preview on SI.com.
For this year's edition of season predictions, the Rangers appear to be an intriguing team. Truth be told, they're actually a pretty difficult team to predict.
Additions
- Corey Kluber
- Kyle Gibson
- Jordan Lyles
- Robinson Chirinos
- Todd Frazier
- Joely Rodriguez
- Greg Bird
- Nick Goody
- Adolis Garcia
Subtractions
- Hunter Pence
- Nomar Mazara
- Delino Deshields
- Logan Forsythe
- Adrian Sampson
On the brighter side of things, the only major subtractions from the 2019 team is Hunter Pence and Nomar Mazara. Pence won the American League's Comeback Player of the Year and earned a trip to the All Star Game. Mazara was a top prospect that never really turned a corner at the Major League level for the Rangers. Deshields was a fine defensive centerfielder, but his inconsistency at the plate made him expendable.
Where the Rangers most improved their roster was undoubtedly the starting rotation. They still have Mike Minor and Lance Lynn, who both earned Cy Young votes in 2019. Take those two and add three quality starting pitchers in Kyle Gibson, Jordan Lyles, and two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. If they pitch to their potential, they could have one of the better starting staffs in all of baseball, including a top-3 that could even carry the Rangers if a postseason berth were to come to fruition.
Where the Rangers failed this offseason was adding an impact bat in the lineup, preferably from the right side. They missed on their top target in Anthony Rendon. They weren't comfortable forking out a fourth-year in an offer to Josh Donaldson. They missed on free agent Nicholas Castellanos. They weren't able to trade for Starling Marte. Those are all players that could have had a very nice domino effect in the Rangers lineup and given a budding star like Joey Gallo some protection in the lineup. Rendon obviously would have become the face of the franchise if he signed with Texas.
Instead, the Rangers added veteran guys like Todd Frazier and reunited with catcher Robinson Chirinos. Those are both nice players and give the Rangers upgrades at their two largest positions of need. At the same time, they don't exactly instill fear in opposing pitchers.
In Sports Illustrated's 2020 MLB Preview, the Rangers are projected to finish fourth in the AL West with a record of 76-86, which is a two-win regression from their 78-win season in 2019.
With the additions the Rangers made, especially in the rotation, it gives optimism for the Rangers to improve on their win total from a season ago. However, the Rangers have a significant amount of unknowns and unanswered questions on their roster, especially at the plate.
Is Joey Gallo we saw in 70 games last year the new-and-improved Gallo? Is Corey Kluber still a bonafide ace? Can Minor and Lynn replicate their 2019 success? Is Danny Santana a legitimate Major-Leaguer? How will the Rangers replace Willie Calhoun – and how much time will he miss? What about the bullpen? Is Greg Bird healthy – and can he stay healthy? Are Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor going to get back to who they were a few seasons ago? The list goes on and on...
If you walk into the Rangers' clubhouse, there's a massive sense of positivity. They believe they can compete. Manager Chris Woodward has instilled confidence in his players. Maybe the mental game isn't an issue for some of these players anymore, which could be the catalyst for why we saw breakouts from Gallo and Santana in 2019. In the age of analytics, the mental side of baseball can be overlooked. Mentally, this team is ready to make a push for a playoff spot.
On the flip side, when baseball writers are making their predictions, intangibles aren't anything to hang their hats on. If most everything, clicks for the Rangers, they could make a serious push for a 90-win season. But if most everything goes south, the Rangers could be in a world of hurt.
If the Rangers get off to a hot start in April and May, maybe they can pull off a major swap and bolster their roster. In the prediction business, "ifs" aren't going to cut it, pure and simple. The Rangers will have to prove people wrong this season. They are up to the task.
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