April Awards

This week I will post my April Awards, and even though it is called the April Awards, the stats shown will be as of the morning of May 13th, and will include the first half of May.

Rangers Awards:

MVP: Josh Hamilton, TEX (.402 AVG, 18 HR, 41 RBI) – Josh is the MVP of all of baseball and leads all of baseball in all three Triple Crown categories, so he is obviously the Rangers MVP.
Runner-up: Adrian Beltre, TEX (.313 AVG, 6 HR, 20 RBI)

Cy Young: Yu Darvish, TEX (5-1, 2.84 ERA, 51 K) – Darvish is tied for the AL lead in wins, he leads all Rangers starters in both ERA and strikeouts, and this is only his first month in the big leagues.
Runner-up: Alexi Ogando, TEX (1-0, 0.48 ERA, 19 K)

Rookie of the Year: Yu Darvish, TEX (5-1, 2.84 ERA, 51 K) – Darvish is the AL ROY, and so there is no question whether or not he is the Rangers ROY.
Runner-up: Robbie Ross, TEX (4-0, 2.45 ERA, 11 K)


AL Awards:

AL MVP: Josh Hamilton, TEX (.402 AVG, 18 HR, 41 RBI) – Josh is the leader in all three Triple Crown categories, and second place in each isn’t even close, so there really is no question here.
Runner-up: David Ortiz, BOS (.349 AVG, 7 HR, 24 RBI)

AL Cy Young: Jered Weaver, LAA (5-0, 1.60 ERA, 47 K) – Jered is second in ERA, and has four more wins than Drew Smyly, the ERA leader, and he also has a no-hitter under his belt.
Runner-up: Jake Peavy (4-0, 1.89 ERA, 44 K)

AL Rookie of the Year: Yu Darvish, TEX (5-1, 2.84 ERA, 51 K) – Yu is tied for the AL lead in wins, in the top 15 in ERA, and is third in strikeouts, all in his rookie season.
Runner-up: Tommy Milone, OAK (5-2, 3.92 ERA, 25 K)

Manager of the Year: Buck Showalter, BAL (22-12, 1st place) – Buck has taken a team that was expected to be a distant 5th place, and has them in a tie for the best record in the American League a month and a half into the season.
Runner-up: Manny Acta, CLE (18-15, 1st place)


NL Awards:

NL MVP: Matt Kemp, LAD (.365 AVG, 12 HR, 27 RBI) – After a torrid start, Kemp has slowed down quite a bit in the month of May, but is still third in average, tied for first in homers, and tied for third in RBIs.
Runner-up: David Wright, NYM (.402 AVG, 4 HR, 21 RBI)

NL Cy Young: Johnny Cueto, CIN (4-0, 1.12 ERA, 31 K) – Cueto is yet to lose a game, has an ERA near 1.00, and has stayed healthy, unlike last year when he was about 10 innings away from qualifying for the ERA title, which he would have won.
Runner-up: Lance Lynn, STL (6-0, 1.40 ERA, 37 K)

NL Rookie of the Year: Wade Miley, ARI (3-1, 2.76 ERA, 22 K) – Miley has been far and away the best rookie pitcher in the NL, with a sub-3.00 ERA, and those numbers to go along with nothing but solid play from the position player rookies, Miley is a no-brainer at this point in the season.
Runner-up: Kirk Nieuwenhuis, NYM (.303 AVG, 2 HR, 12 RBI)

NL Manager of the Year: Don Mattingly, LAD (22-11, 1st place) – Even though the Dodgers aren’t necessarily a surprise team, they do have the best record in baseball and that makes Mattingly deserving.
Runner-up: Davey Johnson, WAS (21-12, 1st place)

Come back next week for an interview with Rangers pitcher Mike Adams (and I really mean it this time).

April All-Stars

This week I will post my April All-Stars. These are the players that I think would be deserving if the All-Star game were to happen today. All stats are as of Friday evening April 27^th.  

A couple weeks ago I had posted that I would be posting an interview with Mike Adams the next week. That interview will now be posted in two weeks, as I will be posting my April Awards next week.

American League: 

Starters: 

C: AJ Pierzynski, CWS (.339 AVG, 4 HR, 16 RBI) – AJ leads AL catchers in both batting average and RBIs, so I think this is a pretty obvious choice. 

1B: Paul Konerko, CWS (.365 AVG, 4 HR, 14 RBI) – Like AJ, first base was a pretty clear-cut decision, as Paul leads AL first basemen in batting average by a wide margin, and has some of the best power numbers. 

2B: Ian Kinsler, TEX (.304 AVG, 5 HR, 12 RBI) – With Cano struggling, second base has been a fairly weak position in the AL so far this year. Kinsler, however, has been fantastic, hitting over .300 with solid power numbers. 

SS: Derek Jeter, NYY (.420 AVG, 4 HR, 13 RBI) – Jeter leads the American League in batting. That pretty much locks him into a starting spot. But even on top of that, he has 4 homers and 13 RBIs, some of the best power numbers of any shortstop so far. 

3B: Evan Longoria, TB (.309 AVG, 4 HR, 14 RBI) – In a position that has been very strong by far, Longoria has been the best all-around player despite him not leading his position in any category. 

DH: David Ortiz, BOS (.420 AVG, 3 HR, 16 RBI) – Ortiz is tied with Jeter for AL batting average lead, and that coupled with the 1 home run and 3 RBI he has over Michael Young gives Big Papi the starting nod. 

OF: Josh Hamilton, TEX (.390 AVG, 8 HR, 19 RBI) – Hamilton has been the AL MVP so far this year, leading the league in homers and close to the lead in batting average and RBI. 

OF: Nolan Reimold, BAL (.353 AVG, 5 HR, 10 RBI) – Reimold is having a good bounce-back year so far, hitting over .350 with very solid power numbers. 

OF: Josh Willingham, MIN (.333 AVG, 5 HR, 13 RBI) – While he struggled against the Rangers (something he didn’t do last season with Oakland), Josh had lots of success against everyone else, giving him solid to great numbers in all three major categories. 

SP: Matt Harrison, TEX (3-0, 1.66 ERA, 13 K) – Matt is tied for second in the AL in wins (behind Robbie Ross) and leads the league in ERA. That no question makes him the All-Star starter. 

Reserves: 

C: Mike Napoli, TEX (.271 AVG, 7 HR, 14 RBI)

    Matt Weiters, BAL (.288 AVG, 6 HR, 13 RBI)

1B: Adrian Gonzalez, BOS (.300 AVG, 2 HR, 14 RBI)

       Carlos Pena, TB (.284 AVG, 4 HR, 13 RBI)

2B: Dustin Pedroia, BOS (.303 AVG, 3 HR, 7 RBI)

SS: Mike Aviles, BOS (.324 AVG, 4 HR, 13 RBI)

      Alcides Escobar, KC (.286 AVG, 1 HR, 5 RBI)

      Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE (.294 AVG, 2 HR, 3 RBI)

3B: Adrian Beltre, TEX (.313 AVG, 3 HR, 10 RBI)

       Miguel Cabrera, DET (.288 AVG, 6 HR, 15 RBI)

       Mark Trumbo, LAA (.342 AVG, 3 HR, 8 RBI)

DH: Michael Young, TEX (.356 AVG, 2 HR, 13 RBI)

OF: Adam Jones, BAL (.316 AVG, 6 HR, 10 RBI)

       Matt Joyce, TB (.322 AVG, 4 HR, 8 RBI)

       Nick Swisher, NYY (.264 AVG, 5 HR, 17 RBI) 

SP: Justin Verlander, DET (2-1, 1.72 ERA, 31 K)

       Jason Hammel, BAL (3-0, 1.73 ERA, 25 K)

       Jake Peavy, CWS (3-0, 1.88 ERA, 26 K)

       Tommy Millone, OAK (3-1, 2.00 ERA, 13 K)

       Colby Lewis, TEX (2-0, 2.03 ERA, 24 K)

       Yu Darvish, TEX (3-0, 2.42 ERA, 24 K)

       Kyle Drabek, TOR (2-1, 2.25 ERA, 18 K)

RP: Jim Johnson, BAL (7 SV, 0.00 ERA, 6 K)

       Brandon League, SEA (7 SV, 1.69 ERA, 5 K)

       Fernando Rodney, TB (6 SV, 1.08 ERA, 7 K)

       Grant Balfour, OAK (5 SV, 1.50 ERA, 7 K)

       Robbie Ross, TEX (4-0, 2.25 ERA, 7 K)

Players per Team:

Texas Rangers – 9 (3 starters)

Baltimore Orioles – 5 (1 starter)

Boston Red Sox – 4 (1 starter)

Tampa Bay Rays – 4 (1 starter)

Chicago White Sox – 3 (2 starters)

New York Yankees – 2 (1 starter)

Detroit Tigers – 2

Oakland Athletics – 2

Minnesota Twins – 1 (1 starter)

Cleveland Indians – 1

Kansas City Royals – 1

Los Angeles Angels – 1

Seattle Mariners – 1

Toronto Blue Jays – 1

National League: 

Starters: 

C: Buster Posey, SF (.362 AVG, 3 HR, 7 RBI) – While Buster only has 7 RBIs, the catching position in the NL has overall had very poor power numbers, which allows Buster’s stellar average to earn him the starting job. 

1B: Bryan LaHair, CHC (.364 AVG, 4 HR, 11 RBI) – LaHair has been a big surprise early on in the year, and he leads NL first basemen in batting average. Bryan also has very good power numbers. 

2B: Jose Altuve, HOU (.377 AVG, 1 HR, 8 RBI) – As surprising as LaHair is, Altuve is probably a bigger one through the first month of the year, and has a very rare batting average at higher than .370. 

SS: Starlin Castro, CHC (.333 AVG, 0 HR, 9 RBI) – Starlin has no homers, yet still has the most RBI of any of my National League All-Star shortstops with a very mediocre nine. This weak competition combined with Castro’s good batting average allow Starlin to be my starting shortstop. 

3B: David Freese, STL (339 AVG, 4 HR, 18 RBI) – Despite the pain that goes into even seeing this name, He Who Shall Not Be Named has had a great start to the year and is very deserving to be the starter. 

OF: Matt Kemp, LAD (.449 AVG, 10 HR, 23 RBI) – Kemp has been far and away the best player in baseball through the first month, as he leads all of baseball in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. 

OF: Chris Young, ARI (.410 AVG, 5 HR, 13 RBI) – Chris is second to Kemp in the NL in batting average, hitting over .400 and displaying very good power. 

OF: JD Martinez, HOU (.313 AVG, 3 HR, 18 RBI) – JD is another Astro who is off to a surprisingly good start, hitting over .300 and being in the top 5 in the NL in RBI. 

SP: Ted Lilly, LAD (2-0, 0.90 ERA, 11 K) – While Lilly lacks the third win that many other pitchers have, he also lacks the loss, but, most importantly, lacks even the 3-digit ERA which is incredible, especially for a pitcher that’s getting close to 40. 

Reserves: 

C: Josh Thole, NYM (.362 AVG, 0 HR, 4 RBI)

    Carlos Ruiz, PHI (.302 AVG, 2 HR, 5 RBI)

1B: Adam LaRoche, WAS (.324 AVG, 2 HR, 14 RBI)

       Freddie Freeman, ATL (.288 AVG, 3 HR, 15 RBI)

2B: Omar Infante, MIA (.314 AVG, 5 HR, 7 RBI)

       Darwin Barney, CHC (.294 AVG, 1 HR, 7 RBI)

SS: Rafael Furcal, STL (.338 AVG, 0 HR, 8 RBI)

       Ian Desmond, WAS (.278 AVG, 2 HR, 7 RBI)

3B: Pablo Sandoval, SF (.333 AVG, 3 HR, 13 RBI)

       David Wright, NYM (.362 AVG, 3 HR, 10 RBI)

       Chase Headley, SD (.275 AVG, 4 HR, 13 RBI)

OF: Corey Hart, MIL (.305 AVG, 6 HR, 13 RBI

       Andre Ethier, LAD (.288 AVG, 4 HR, 22 RBI)

       Michael Cuddyer, COL (.303 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI)

       Andrew McCutchen, PIT (.329 AVG, 0 HR, 6 RBI) 

SP: Kyle Lohse, STL (3-0, 0.99 ERA, 16 K)

       Brandon Beachy, ATL (2-1, 1.05 ERA, 20 K)

       Stephen Strasburg, WAS (2-0, 1.08 ERA, 25 K)

       Joe Saunders, ARI (1-1, 1.29 ERA, 14 K)

       Jake Westbrook, STL (2-1, 1.31 ERA, 10 K)

       Lance Lynn, STL (4-0, 1.33 ERA, 24 K)

       Gio Gonzalez, WAS (2-0, 1.52, 27 K)

       Jordan Zimmerman, WAS (1-1, 1.33 ERA, 16 K)

RP: Craig Kimbrel, ATL (7 SV, 1.13 ERA, 14 K)

       Rafael Betancourt, COL (6 SV, 1.13 ERA, 6 K)

       Jonathon Papelbon, PHI (6 SV, 1.13 ERA, 7 K)

       Henry Rodriguez, WAS (5 SV, 0.00 ERA, 10 K)

       Aroldis Chapman, CIN (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 20 K)

Players per Team:

St. Louis Cardinals – 5 (1 starter)

Washington Nationals – 5

Chicago Cubs – 3 (2 starters)

Los Angeles Dodgers – 3 (2 starter)

Atlanta Braves – 3

Houston Astros – 2 (2 starters)

Arizona Diamondbacks – 2 (1 starter)

San Francisco Giants – 2 (1 starter)

New York Mets – 2

Philadelphia Phillies – 2

Cincinnati Reds – 1

Colorado Rockies – 1

Miami Marlins – 1

Milwaukee Brewers – 1

Pittsburgh Pirates – 1

San Diego Padres – 1

Come back next week for my April Awards.

Robbie Ross Interview

During spring training, I interviewed Rangers pitcher Robbie Ross on the backfields in Surprise after workouts one morning.

Robbie is a great guy and was really nice throughout the whole process. After agreeing to do the interview early in the week, there were multiple mornings where he took the time to look for me after the workouts to try and do the interview. On the day that the interview took place, he was completely focused on the interview, even while a crowd was starting to develop for autographs. He then signed for everyone there after we were done. I was very impressed with Robbie. He is a really good guy.

Note that this interview was done prior to Robbie learning that he had earned a spot on the major league team.

Me: What did you change after the 2010 season in order to change your 5.37 High-A ERA in 2010 to a 2.26 High-A ERA in 2011?

Robbie: Well, I just approached it like it was another game, focused a little more, and just tried to just get in there and learn what I did the year before that was wrong and kind of figure out what I needed to do. I just focused in on that and tried to hone in on my skills again. So I just really focused on the little things that I might have done wrong that I needed to work on.

Me: What is the biggest difference you have noticed between Single-A and Double-A hitters?

Robbie: Double-A hitters are a little more patient. They focus a little better than some of the high-A hitters. Guys come out hacking in high-A, but in double-A they become a little more patient and become a little more students of the game because they can see what’s going on in the games and what they need to do.

Me: Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard from a lot of different pitchers. What made you decide to sign with the Rangers and go pro instead of going to play college ball at Kentucky?

Robbie: Well, I really prayed about it. I’m a Christian and I just prayed about it. I talked to my family and I talked to my wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, about what I wanted to do and told her, if the opportunity comes and I feel like it’s right and I feel like God’s pushing me in that direction, I should go. I ended up going in that direction.

Me: That’s always a good reason to make a decision.

Robbie: Yeah

Me: Which means more to you, being named the 2008 Kentucky Player of the Year, or being named last year’s Carolina League Pitcher of the Year?

Robbie: I’ve never really been a big fan of those things, titles and stuff like that. I’m playing to have fun and I enjoy it. Both of them were an honor and I appreciate the titles, but it’s really just that I’d love to get to the big leagues at some point. If I could get to the big leagues, I’d sacrifice all of the awards I’ve ever gotten, so that’s really what I’m focusing on right now.

Me: What have you been working on so far this offseason and why?

Robbie: I’ve just really been working on getting my fastball on both sides of the plate. And I’ve been working on a curve ball recently and trying to get that going a little bit in my pitching repertoire, I guess you could say.

Me: You’ve been named to a lot of ʽTop Prospectsʼ lists recently. What does that mean to you? I guess you’ve really already kind of answered that. I guess you just try to ignore those?

Robbie: Yeah, it’s really just a bunch of people trying to say that you’re doing this, and this, and this right. They’re good things, you know. It’s nice to be named to those but at the same time, you can’t focus too much on that because you’ve got to grind it out every day and try to do what you have to do. It’s just a bunch of numbers and things like that that lead to those lists, but in the end, we’re all working to get to the big leagues. If we get these accolades or whatever, it’s just another writing or whatever it is. We’re just trying to get to the big leagues at some point.

Me: What do you think has been your best professional game and why?

Robbie: I don’t really know actually. Whatever I’m doing, I try to go through it every day and I’m trying to pitch. I really don’t know what my best game was. There have been bad games and there have been good games. I learn from my good ones and I learn from the bad. That’s pretty much it.

Me: Who are your three favorite teammates since you joined the Rangers organization and why?

Robbie: (laughs) Well, I’ve met a lot of new guys. A lot of them are on the minor league side, like Ben Henry. I knew him from the very beginning. Joe Wieland just got traded and he was one of my best buddies, too. Those guys were a big part of my life and dudes that I’ve been hanging out with. Then Chad Bell also is another good guy. Actually, all three of those guys were in my wedding. So those are probably the guys that I’ve hung out with the most.

Me: Can you please rate the ballparks in the Rangers organization that youʼve played in from 1 to 10 (10 being the best) and explain your ratings?

Robbie: 10 probably is being in Frisco, because Frisco’s probably the best place to play at. Myrtle Beach was amazing also. But nothing beats being in Spokane in rookie ball because, for me, it’s been the most people I’ve been around. So that’s probably the best so far.

Me: What is the toughest thing about minor league life and why?

Robbie: Just the daily grind, in and out of going to practice. Traveling, being away from your family, is the toughest part. Because I have younger siblings that I don’t get to see, so that’s pretty tough. Missing friends and family and that atmosphere is the hardest part.

Me: What was your favorite team growing up?

Robbie: Probably the Reds.

Me: Oh, really? My dad’s from Cincinnati and I’m a Reds fan too.

Robbie: Really? I’m from Kentucky (Lexington) so that’s the closest team around us.

Me: So are you a Kentucky Wildcats fan?

Robbie: Oh yeah

Me: Ugh

Robbie: Not like extremely huge but I like them a lot.

Me: OK, well, I like Louisville, so…

Robbie: Yeah? Sorry (laughs)

Me: What sports did you play growing up and which were you best at, other than baseball?

Robbie: Soccer. I loved soccer. I would have liked to have played in college but I ended up going with baseball.

Me: What is the worst injury you’ve had to deal with?

Robbie: A twisted ankle. Knock on wood. Hopefully that’s all I have to deal with but if it ends up being something else, that’s part of it. Life goes on.

Me: Thank you so much for doing this.

Robbie: No problem, man.

I would like to thank Robbie for giving so much of his time for this interview.

Come back next for an interview with Rangers pitcher Mike Adams.

Season Predictions

This week, I’ll provide my predictions for the 2012 season.

AL West:

1. Texas Rangers – The Rangers have made the World Series two straight years and have yet another great team this year. With Derek Holland on the verge of a breakout year and a stellar offense, they should run away with this division even with the Angels improving.
2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (wild card) – While I don’t think they can keep up with the Rangers due to their lack of hitting around Albert Pujols, they have one of the best rotations in baseball, and that should be good enough to get them one of the two wild card spots.
3. Oakland Athletics – There is a huge gap in between the Angels and the A’s. It is the difference of a playoff team and one of the 5 worst teams in baseball. The A’s have no hitting or pitching, as they traded away their two best starters and have never had any real threats at the plate the last few years.
4. Seattle Mariners – As bad as Oakland is, the Mariners are even worse. Seattle has better pitching, with Felix Hernandez, but an even worse offense, even with two young prospects in Dustin Ackley and Jesus Montero.

AL Central:

1. Detroit Tigers – I really don’t think this is a very good team, but the Tigers are in a weak division, and a rotation of Verlander, Fister, and Scherzer should be able to fight through the pitiful defense Detroit will have and do a good enough job to pull out the division title.
2. Kansas City Royals – Before their closer, Joakim Soria, got injured and was declared out for the year, I was going to predict Kansas City to win the division. I still think they have a chance, with their young line-up anchored by Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, and Jeff Francoeur.
3. Cleveland Indians – The Indians are also an improving young team, and over the next few years it will most likely be Cleveland and Kansas City fighting for the AL Central. While they have some good young hitters in Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis, the Indians’ strength is in their pitching rotation, where they have Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez, and bullpen, with Chris Perez and Rafael Perez.
4. Minnesota Twins – The Twins just have a bad team. They have a poor rotation and a mediocre lineup. There is a good chance that Justin Morneau will be traded by the end of the year, which will make them even worse. They have no chance.
5. Chicago White Sox – The White Sox are definitely about to go into rebuilding mode. The problem is that some of their veterans have contracts too big to trade away, like Adam Dunn, and they have a weak farm system. This is a team that will be terrible for years.

AL East:

1. New York Yankees – The Yankees improved their rotation this off-season with the addition of Michael Pineda, who is currently on the 15-day DL, but I don’t think that the signing of Hiroki Kuroda was a good one for them. Kuroda is in his upper thirties and his fly ball to ground ball ratio took a huge jump from good to okay last year, and going into the Yankees’ hitter-friendly park from the Dodgers’ pitcher-friendly one, he should struggle.
2. Tampa Bay Rays (wild card) – A lot like the Angels, Tampa Bay has a weak lineup around one great hitter, this one Evan Longoria, but, also like the Angels, they have an amazing pitching staff. They have a rotation made up of three aces, with a possible fourth, in David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, James Shields, and Matt Moore. And also like the Angels, I have the Rays as a wild card.
3. Toronto Blue Jays – I think Toronto is a very underrated team. They are right around .500 every year. They have an ace in Ricky Romero, and another pitcher who I think will have a breakout season in Brandon Morrow. They also have an anchor in their lineup with Jose Bautista, surrounded by solid hitters like Adam Lind, Kelly Johnson, Yunel Escobar, Brett Lawrie, Colby Rasmus, and JP Arencibia. I could easily see Toronto making a playoff run this year.
4. Boston Red Sox – Boston has a solid lineup, but a weak rotation and a dysfunctional lineup. After Jon Lester, their rotation consists of an injury-prone and inconsistent Josh Beckett, another injury-prone and inconsistent pitcher in Clay Buchholz, a career relief pitcher that doesn’t have what it takes to be a starter in Daniel Bard, and a consistently mediocre Alfredo Aceves.
5. Baltimore Orioles – Baltimore is another one of those bad teams that has absolutely no chance. They have some good hitters sprinkled in their lineup with Matt Weiters, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis, but they don’t have any great ones. And they certainly don’t have any great pitchers, as their rotation is just awful. There’s always next decade, Baltimore.

NL West:

1. Arizona Diamondbacks – The D’Backs have one of the best rotations in all of baseball, headed by Ian Kennedy (21-4, 2.88 ERA in 2011), Daniel Hudson (16-12, 3.49 ERA), and Trevor Cahill (18-8, 2.97 ERA in 2010), and rounded out by Joe Saunders (3.69 ERA in 2011) and Josh Collmenter (3.38). They also have one of the top pitching prospects in baseball set to come up mid-season in Trevor Bauer. They should be a fantastic team this year.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers – The Dodgers aren’t a great team by any stretch of the matter, but after Arizona, this is a weak division. Los Angeles is good enough for second because they have four solid to okay pitchers after Clayton Kershaw to go along with Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier leading the mediocre offense.
3. San Francisco Giants – The Giants just aren’t a very good team. They have a great top three in their rotation with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner, but Ryan Vogelsong can’t be expected to repeat his 2011 season, and Barry Zito is extremely mediocre. Also, their third best hitter is Melky Cabrera, and their best is Pablo Sandoval. That is a horrendous lineup.
4. San Diego Padres – Even after trading Mat Latos to the Reds, the Padres are still better than Colorado. San Diego has a decent rotation, with Cory Luebke, Clayton Richard, Tim Stauffer, Dustin Mosely, and Edinson Volquez. But the real reason they aren’t in last place is because the Rockies are absolutely awful.
5. Colorado Rockies – I haven’t seen a rotation as bad as Colorado’s since, well, I can’t remember one. Their “ace” is Jeremy Guthrie, who had a 4.33 ERA last year. Their #2 pitcher is Jamie Moyer, who didn’t play last year after having a 4.84 ERA in 2010. He’s 49 years old. Their #3 pitcher is Juan Nicasio, who posted a 4.14 ERA last season. Their #4 and #5 starters combine for 57 career starts. Oh, and their offense stinks, too.

NL Central:

1. Cincinnati Reds – Despite the Reds losing their closer, Ryan Madson, for the year, they still have a very good pitching staff. Their rotation sports Mat Latos (3.47 2011 ERA, 2.92 2010 ERA), Johnny Cueto (2.31 2011 ERA, 3.64 2010 ERA), Mike Leake (3.86, 4.23), Bronson Arroyo (5.07, 3.88), and either Homer Bailey (4.43, 4.46) or Aroldis Chapman (3.60, 2.03). That goes along with a very solid lineup, with Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs, and Scott Rolen along with a couple of good rookie prospects.
2. St. Louis Cardinals (wild card) – The Cardinals get Adam Wainwright back this year after missing all of 2011, but also lose Chris Carpenter for an undetermined amount of time. St. Louis has a solid rotation and a solid lineup, and are a solid overall team. But solid is all that they are.
3. Chicago Cubs – The Cubs aren’t a very good team. They have a decent top two in their rotation with Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza, but they then finish the rotation with Jeff Samardzija, Chris Volstad, and Paul Maholm, with Maholm being the only one rotation-worthy. Their lineup has some good players sprinkled in, but lacks a great hitter.
4. Milwaukee Brewers – The loss of Prince Fielder is a killer for the Brewers, as he was a huge part of that lineup. I don’t expect Rickie Weeks to have the same kind of season he had last year, and the same goes for Nyjer Morgan and Aramis Ramirez.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates – The Pirates’ rotation is made of five #4 starters, with AJ Burnett, Jeff Karstens, Kevin Correia, Charlie Morton, and Erik Bedard. They have a solid bullpen and a solid lineup, with underrated players like Garrett Jones, Neil Walker, Jose Tabata, and Andrew McCutchen. But they don’t have a rotation to finish much higher than fifth.
6. Houston Astros – Houston is by far the worst team in the league. I have talked about how bad the Rockies, Orioles, Mariners, and White Sox are, but none of them compare to the disaster that is the Astros. After Wandy Rodriguez, their rotation consists of Bud Norris (#3 Triple-A starter talent level), JA Happ (long relief talent level), Jordan Lyles (Triple-A starter talent level), and Kyle Weiland (Double-A starter talent level). At catcher they have Jason Castro, the worst catcher in the majors, including backups, Carlos Lee, an aging veteran who is just okay now, Jose Altuve, a utility infield talent at best, Jed Lowrie, also a utility infield talent, Chris Johnson, a .260 hitter with about 10 homers a year, JD Martinez, who is also not deserving of a big league role, Jordan Schafer, who isn’t good enough to be a backup outfielder, and Brian Bogusevic, who would be in Triple-A with any other franchise. They are truly awful.

NL East:

1. Philadelphia Phillies – I think this is the last year that the Phillies will be a playoff contender for a while. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are both aging, and Cole Hamels is a free agent this offseason, and is probably leaving for the highest bidder. That means their rotation is sliding quite a bit. And their hitting is subpar already, and will just deteriorate more. Philadelphia has to have the oldest lineup in baseball. Their window of opportunity is closing fast, but they’ve got one more year in them.
2. Washington Nationals (wild card) – While the Phillies are falling downhill, the Nationals are skyrocketing in talent, with a really good young rotation, and a solid lineup to go along with it. The Gio Gonzalez trade they made this offseason should help them tremendously, and I think, will be a huge reason they make the playoffs.
3. Atlanta Braves – The Braves are like the Phillies. They are an aging team that has about one more good year in them before their window closes. However, I don’t think their year this season will be good enough, because they are just an okay team. They have an okay rotation with an okay lineup with a fantastic bullpen. If they make the playoffs, their bullpen will have to carry them there.
4. Miami Marlins – Miami made a big splash this offseason. They have a new stadium, new players, new ugly uniforms, a new manager, but not a new amount of success. The players they got (at ridiculous prices) are either injury-prone, old, or overrated, or all. I also don’t see that group of guys meshing well in a clubhouse and I see them being more of a circus than a baseball team.
5. New York Mets – The Mets are the only team that could make a claim to being worse than the Astros. They aren’t worse, but you could make an argument. They have no players that are All-Star worthy, and only about half of their team is major league worthy. They should finish double-digit games behind fourth place.


AL Awards:

MVP: Evan Longoria, TB
Runner-up: Jose Bautista, TOR

Cy Young: David Price, TB
Runner-up: Jeremy Hellickson, TB

Rookie of the Year: Jesus Montero, SEA
Runner-up: Matt Moore, TB

Manager of the Year: Ned Yost, KC
Runner-up: Ron Washington, TEX


NL Awards:

MVP: Joey Votto, CIN
Runner-up: Matt Kemp, LAD

Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, LAD
Runner-up: Mat Latos, CIN

Rookie of the Year: Zack Cosart, CIN
Runner-up: Devin Mesoraco, CIN

Manager of the Year: Dusty Baker, CIN
Runner-up: Davey Johnson, WAS


Playoffs:

Wild Card Round:

Tampa Bay Rays over Los Angeles Angels

Washington Nationals over St. Louis Cardinals


ALDS:

Texas Rangers over Tampa Bay Rays

New York Yankees over Detroit Tigers


NLDS:

Cincinnati Reds over Washington Nationals

Arizona Diamondbacks over Philadelphia Phillies


ALCS:

Texas Rangers over New York Yankees


NLCS:

Arizona Diamondbacks over Cincinnati Reds


World Series:

Texas Rangers over Arizona Diamondbacks


Come back next week for an interview with Rangers pitcher Robbie Ross.

Spring Training Trip Report

My dad, my granddad, my grandma, and I went on a trip to Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona over Spring Break. It was the 7th straight year we’ve gone to Arizona for Rangers Spring Training, and the first for my grandma. We got there on Sunday, March 11th and left on Thursday, March 15th. It was a great trip and I had a blast. This week I’ll give a recap of my trip and a report on how the players looked.

Sunday, March 11th:

On Sunday morning, my dad and I had an 8:30 AM flight from Dallas to Phoenix, causing us to wake up at around 5:00-ish, which was not fun since it was the morning we last an hour due to daylight savings. However, the flight went very smoothly, as we got upgraded to first class and there were no delays. The rental car pick-up went smoothly when we got there and the drive to Surprise was just fine, too.

Once we got to Surprise, we went straight to the backfields and saw the amazingly large crowd of people that were back there. It was larger by a good amount than any other year. When we first started attending spring training in 2006, there were usually about 10-20 fans at the backfields during workouts. This year, I heard estimates of anywhere from 1000 to 1500 fans attending the workouts every morning. The scene has definitely changed as a result of the team’s success and popularity. One positive change this year is that the Rangers moved the entrance to the backfields from the west side to the east side. This makes it a much shorter walk to get to the fields where the major leaguers practice and, more importantly, is on the same side of the complex as the stadium, so you can now walk from the backfields to the stadium after morning workouts instead of driving.

We got our first look at Yu Darvish that morning, as he spent some time throwing the ball on the side. It was interesting to see the large group of Japanese reporters who followed him wherever he went during the week.

We also met up with my granddad and grandma once we got there, as they had driven up from Dallas so that they could see Sedona and the Grand Canyon once the Spring Training part of the trip was over. This year was my grandma’s first year to come with us.

After spending an hour or so at the morning workouts, my dad and I headed on into the stadium for the Rangers game against the Indians. Derek Holland pitched in this game against Kevin Slowey for Cleveland. Holland looked very sharp on the mound, going three innings and allowing one run. Greg Reynolds also pitched well in relief, throwing two perfect innings. I can’t say the same about Joe Beimel though, and despite his not allowing a run, he looked poor, throwing 86 mph, completely straight fastballs with poor command on almost every pitch. Neal Cotts, another lefty, was also very uninspiring, throwing in the low-90s with poor command. However, Mitch Stetter, a third straight lefty, looked brilliant, with great movement and location making up for his low-80s fastball. Michael Kirkman pitched very okay in his inning of work. Hitting-wise, Luis Hernandez and Yangervis Solarte, two men fighting for the utility infield job, both played well, combining to go 3-for-5. Julio Borbon also played well at the plate, but made a base running blunder and got picked off of second. The Rangers ended up winning the game 6-1, with 3 of those runs coming in the 4th inning, an inning which seemed to go on forever. Tony Sipp was the pitcher, and he was using every possible tactic to delay throwing the ball. His at-bat vs. Solarte took so long that the on-deck hitter, Josh Hamilton, ended up sitting down on a chair next to the coaches by the end of the at-bat.

It was great being back at the Rangers stadium in Surprise, which is still one of the nicest stadiums in the Cactus League. It has open concourses and a good look and feel to it. It’s a comfortable place to watch a game. The only negative is that they need a bigger gift shop. It has two but they’re both too small to handle the large crowds the Rangers are now drawing. The weather was perfect all week. A little hot in the sun but perfect in the shade. We know the stadiums well enough that we made sure all of our seats were in the shade throughout the week when we bought tickets.

After the game ended the three of us picked up my grandma and drove over to Red Robin for dinner. We go there every year, and their burgers and fries are fantastic. After we ate, we drove to our hotel, which is on the same street as the Rangers ballpark, just a 2 to 3 minute walk away, checked in, hung out, and went to sleep.


Monday, March 12th:

I went over to the morning workouts again this morning, and I got to watch Neil Ramirez and Martin Perez each throw simulated sessions. Ramirez really struggled, having a hard time keeping the ball down, as he left almost all of his pitches up in the zone. Perez also had some trouble, as his curveball was all over the place despite him having pinpoint fastball command. As far as batting practice went, Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre were by far the two most impressive hitters, while Michael Young really struggled, hitting weak grounders on almost every pitch. To get by the media this morning, Yu Darvish hid on the back of a golf cart until he got to a roped off area. Also, Josh Hamilton, as always, was really good with kids and was really, really friendly. I also got to see and talk with TR Sullivan, Evan Grant, and Jamey Newberg .

My dad, granddad, and I went to Peoria after the workouts to see the Rangers play at the Mariners, and Matt Harrison started this one. Like Holland, Matt went 3 innings and allowed 1 run, and like Holland, Matt pitched very well. The pitchers after him were Yoshinori Tateyama, who pitched well, Mark Lowe, who was okay, Joe Nathan, who had no control and allowed 3 runs in 1 inning, and Mark Hamburger, who also struggled, allowing 2 runs in 2 innings. At the plate, no one was very impressive and no one had more than one hit. However, both Nellie Cruz and David Murphy hit solo homers. The final score was Mariners 6, Rangers 4.

Peoria has a middle-of-the-road spring training stadium. It’s a nice enough place to watch a game but has closed concourses, so you can’t see the game when you get concessions or walk to the restroom.

Before the game, I got to meet Rollie Fingers, who was signing autographs for charity. For $20, you got an autographed ball, with a case for it, plus you got to pose for a picture with Rollie. He seemed like a good guy.

After the game we did the same thing we did on Sunday, we picked my grandma up and went to eat, this time at NYPD (New York Pizza Department). Like Red Robin, we go there every year. NYPD has such good pizza, and I got pepperoni and sausage. After dinner, we went back to the hotel room and I watched some Prison Break and a little of The Office before going to bed.


Tuesday, March 13th:

Tuesday morning was a pretty slow one at the Rangers backfields, and the only thing of note that I saw was a Greg Reynolds simulated session. Greg didn’t pitch too well, as despite good command of his pitches, he had almost no speed and almost no movement. He got hit pretty hard.

The Rangers played at the Indians (in Goodyear) this game, and my grandma came with us to this one (her first-ever spring training game). It was also Yu Darvish’s start. It was a very interesting atmosphere, as the fans were much more into this game than any other one, and there were Japanese advertisements in the Rangers bullpen. Darvish struggled a bit in this one, walking 4 and allowing 2 runs in 3 innings of work. He had some control issues but you could also see that he has good movement. But he wasn’t the only pitcher to struggle, as Koji Uehara came in after him and allowed 2 runs in just 1 inning, and Joe Beimel and Mike Adams both did the same thing in the 5th and 6th innings. Tanner Scheppers, Robbie Ross, Mitch Stetter, and Roman Mendez combined to throw 4 scoreless frames the rest of the way, with Ross really pitching well. Craig Gentry sprained his wrist going after a fly ball early on in the game. At the plate, Yangervis Solarte had another good game, hitting a home run. Yorvit Torrealba, Engel Beltre, and Mitch Moreland also hit well in this one. The game ended in an 8-8 tie after going 10 innings.

Goodyear is a very disappointing ballpark, as even though it is one of the newest, it is awful. It has this metal that is designed to look old and rusty, which is ugly, and has almost no shade. However, the Reds and Indians backfields are very nice.

Once we left the game, we drove straight to Outback, and then went back to our hotel. I watched the NCAA tournament first-round games and then went to sleep.


Wednesday, March 14th:

Wednesday was a very good day at the Rangers backfields, as I got to see Alexi Ogando, Derek Holland, and Scott Feldman all throw simulated sessions. Ogando and Holland both looked fantastic, each with good to great command with nasty movement, but Feldman really struggled, with poor command and not much movement. I interviewed both Jared Hoying and Robbie Ross this morning, and those interviews should be posted within the next few weeks. They’re both great guys and I appreciated their giving me their time.

After the workouts, we headed over to the Rangers ballpark to watch the Rockies at the Rangers. Feliz was the starter in this one, and went 3 innings allowing 1 run. Despite allowing 4 hits, Neftali pitched great, and really controlled his breaking stuff, which had a lot of movement. However, after Feliz came out, the pitching fell apart, with Kirkman allowing 1 run in 1 inning, Sean Green allowing 3 runs in 0.2 innings, Cotts allowing 1 run in 1.1 innings, but then finishing with 3 scoreless innings by Cody Eppley, Miguel De Los Santos, and Justin Miller. Offensively, Ian Kinsler was the only Ranger with multiple hits. Colorado won the game 6-1.

After the Rangers game, my dad, granddad, and I picked up my grandma and we all drove down to Scottsdale to see the Diamondbacks play at the Rockies (Colorado had a split-squad this day). Both teams play at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, which is the newest ballpark in the Cactus League and by far the nicest. It has great food selection, a great jumbotron, and a lot of shade. The Rockies won that game 7-4. The only disappointment was our choice of food for the evening. They had a burger bar, which made itself appear like it was a real burger place. Normally burgers from concession stands are terrible. But we were assured that these were high quality and not typical concession burgers, so we ordered some. What we got were standard ballpark burgers, pre-cooked and pre-wrapped with no flavor.

After the 6th inning we headed on back to our hotel since it was about an hour away. We all crashed almost as soon as we got back.


Thursday, March 15th:

Thursday was the last day in Phoenix for me and my dad, and my grandma and granddad were already gone to see Sedona and the Grand Canyon. This morning I interviewed Mike Adams (another great guy). I also got to watch, or should I say had to watch, Koji Uehara throw a simulated session. He left almost every pitch either down the middle or up in the zone and he got crushed.

Since we were leaving this day and Surprise is so far away from the airport, my dad and I drove down to Tempe Diablo Stadium to see the Reds at the Angels. The Angels stadium is one of the worst. It looks great from the outside but has nothing to offer from the inside. It has narrow concourses, making it incredibly congested and hard to walk, and probably has the least amount of shade of any ballpark in the Cactus League.

We got to see a tremendous pitching match-up between CJ Wilson and Johnny Cueto. I actually got to talk to CJ for a couple of minutes before the game, and as always, he was super nice. It was a very well-pitched game by both pitchers, and the two teams combined for 5 extra base hits the entire game. The Angels won the game, 3-1.

Our experience getting home was the exact opposite of when we flew to Phoenix. Going there, we had an early morning flight with no delays, we got upgraded to first class, and we got there on time. Coming back, we had a late night flight in coach (which was packed), with a two-hour long delay and we didn’t get home until after 1 AM.

Despite a bad ending, it was an amazing trip, like always. I would like to thank my dad and granddad for taking me every year, and my grandma for coming with us this time. It was a lot of fun.

Come back next week for my pre-season predictions.

Spring Training Outfielders Analysis

The Rangers have 10 outfielders and 1 designated hitter in major league camp. I did an analysis on each of them, gave their chances of making the team at the end of Spring Training, and predicted the roster. I’ve also included each player’s spring training stats as of today (March 18th).

Designated Hitter

Michael Young (8-for-23, 2 RBI)
Michael will obviously make the Rangers Opening Day roster, and should be the team’s Opening Day DH, barring an injury to either him or an infielder. Young had yet another 200-hit season in 2011, the sixth time he has accomplished that feat in his career. He also got 100+ RBIs for the second time in his career, had 10+ home runs for the ninth time in his career, and hit over .300 for the seventh time in his career. Michael should either achieve or come close to achieving all of those again this year.
Percentage: 100%


Outfielders

Engel Beltre (6-for-21, 5 RBI)
Beltre has had a much better spring than he did last year, where he went 0-for-17 at the plate, and hopefully that will carry into the regular season. Last year, Engel hit just .231 with only one home run. That was following a 2010 season in which he hit .300 with a career-high 49 RBIs. Beltre fell off a lot of top prospect lists after his poor performance last season (and his throwing a trash can into the stands and getting suspended didn’t help). Hopefully Beltre will make a good turnaround in 2012, but he doesn’t have much of a chance at the Opening Day roster.
Percentage: 4.6%

Julio Borbon (7-for-20, 2 RBI)
Despite being sent down each of the past two seasons after being in the Opening Day lineup, Borbon once again has the inside track for the center field job. He has had a good spring, with a .350 batting average, and Craig Gentry, his main competition, has gotten injured twice. Craig may still make the team, but Borbon will most likely start. After a slow start last year with a .232 April batting average, Julio got hot in May, hitting .333, before getting injured and then demoted, where he once again started off cold, then got hot, then got injured.
Percentage: 81.2%

Nelson Cruz (7-for-24, 1 HR, 6 RBI)
Cruz will obviously make the big league team on Opening Day, assuming he is healthy. When he has played the last three years he has been fantastic, with 20+ home runs and 75+ RBIs each year. He has also been super clutch in the playoffs with 14 home runs in 33 games. Cruz will be the starting right fielder and hit sixth, and he should go boomstick quite a few times this year.
Percentage: 100%

Craig Gentry (1-for-13, 1 RBI)
Craig has had about as bad a Spring Training as possible, with two injuries (hamstring and wrist) and an .077 batting average. However, he is not a guy who will hit for a high average and the Rangers know that. Gentry is a great defensive center fielder and is extremely fast (he was a perfect 18-for-18 on stolen base attempts last year). His spring will probably keep him from getting the starting center field job, but I still think he will be the team’s fifth outfielder.
Percentage: 68.7%

Josh Hamilton (4-for-25, 1 RBI)
As long as Josh is healthy on Opening Day, he will be the starting left fielder and will hit out of the three spot. He won MVP in 2010 and had another great year in 2011, hitting .298 with 25 home runs and 94 RBIs in just 121 games. The problem with Josh is that he can’t stay healthy, and that is the main reason that the Rangers probably won’t resign him even though he is a free agent this offseason. Enjoy watching Josh play this year because you probably won’t see him in a Rangers uniform come next April.
Percentage: 100%

Kyle Hudson (2-for-15, 1 RBI)
Even though Hudson had 28 major league at-bats with the Orioles last year, he has almost no chance at making the Opening Day roster. He has had a poor spring so far, and hit just .143 in those 28 at-bats in 2011. He has amazingly never hit a home run in 1422 combined minor league and major league at-bats. He could be called up at some point this year due to an injury since he is on the 40-man roster, but it is unlikely he will make the team to start the season.
Percentage: 8.2%

Conor Jackson (1-for-20, 1 HR, 1 RBI)
Coming into camp Conor had a very good shot at making the team, either as an outfielder or first baseman, but now he has almost no chance with his 1-for-20 start. He is currently hitting .050 with a .095 OBP, and no non-roster invite can get away with that kind of performance and make any team (except maybe the DisAstros). Conor spent the entire 2011 season in the majors, though, hitting .244 with 5 homers and 43 RBIs between the A’s and Red Sox.
Percentage: 15.4%

Leonys Martin (4-for-22, 1 HR, 1 RBI)
Leonys is another guy who was supposed to have a shot at cracking the Opening Day roster coming into Spring Training, but now has close to no chance. This time it wasn’t due to his play, however, as early on in camp, Ron Washington said that Martin will start off 2012 in Triple-A in order to get more experience. Last year was the first year in America for Leonys, a Cuban defector. He hit .295 with 38 stolen bases in 302 at-bats split between the AZL Rangers, Double-A Frisco, and Triple-A Round Rock, but he hit just .263 after getting called up to Triple-A. Leonys will be in the majors soon, maybe even at some point in this year, but not on Opening Day.
Percentage: 2.1%

David Murphy (11-for-28, 1 HR, 5 RBI)
Even though Murphy will most likely not start on Opening Day, David is a sure thing as far as making the roster goes. He is one of the top fourth outfielders in all of baseball and had another good year in 2011, with a .275 batting average to go along with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs. His pattern is to start off slow, as he had a pre-All-Star game average of .247 in 2011 and a .162 April batting average in 2010, but then get hot in the second half of the season. David should see plenty of playing time with the injury-prone outfielders that the Rangers have in Hamilton and Cruz.
Percentage: 100%

Yangervis Solarte (6-for-18, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
Solarte is a very interesting option for the Rangers. He has never been above Double-A, but he can play second, short, third, left, and right, kind of like a Jerry Hairston, Jr.. He also had a .329 average in the minors last year for Double-A New Britain, the team he played for the whole year, and has had a very good spring so far. His versatility and good performance give Solarte a good chance at the Opening Day roster, but his lack of experience will probably keep him off it to start off the year.
Percentage: 43.9%

Projected Opening Day Lineup:

Outfield:
RF – Nelson Cruz
CF – Julio Borbon
LF – Josh Hamilton
4th Outfielder – David Murphy
5th Outfielder – Craig Gentry

DH - Michael Young

Catchers:
Starting Catcher - Mike Napoli
Backup Catcher - Yorvit Torrealba

Infield:
1B – Mitch Moreland
2B – Ian Kinsler
SS – Elvis Andrus
3B – Adrian Beltre
UTIL – Alberto Gonzalez

Pitchers:
SP – Colby Lewis
SP – Derek Holland
SP – Yu Darvish
SP – Matt Harrison
SP – Neftali Feliz
Lefty Specialist – Michael Kirkman
Long Reliever – Scott Feldman
Middle Reliever – Yoshinori Tateyama (I gave this spot to Mark Hamburger when making my pitching predictions a few weeks ago but with their performances since then, I now predict that Tateyama will make the roster instead)
Middle Reliever – Mark Lowe
Set-up Man – Alexi Ogando
Set-up Man – Mike Adams
Closer – Joe Nathan

Come back next week for my Spring Training trip report.

Spring Training Outfielders Analysis

The Rangers have 10 outfielders and 1 designated hitter in major league camp. I did an analysis on each of them, gave their chances of making the team at the end of Spring Training, and predicted the roster. I’ve also included each player’s spring training stats as of today (March 18th).

Designated Hitter

Michael Young (8-for-23, 2 RBI)
Michael will obviously make the Rangers Opening Day roster, and should be the team’s Opening Day DH, barring an injury to either him or an infielder. Young had yet another 200-hit season in 2011, the sixth time he has accomplished that feat in his career. He also got 100+ RBIs for the second time in his career, had 10+ home runs for the ninth time in his career, and hit over .300 for the seventh time in his career. Michael should either achieve or come close to achieving all of those again this year.
Percentage: 100%


Outfielders

Engel Beltre (6-for-21, 5 RBI)
Beltre has had a much better spring than he did last year, where he went 0-for-17 at the plate, and hopefully that will carry into the regular season. Last year, Engel hit just .231 with only one home run. That was following a 2010 season in which he hit .300 with a career-high 49 RBIs. Beltre fell off a lot of top prospect lists after his poor performance last season (and his throwing a trash can into the stands and getting suspended didn’t help). Hopefully Beltre will make a good turnaround in 2012, but he doesn’t have much of a chance at the Opening Day roster.
Percentage: 4.6%

Julio Borbon (7-for-20, 2 RBI)
Despite being sent down each of the past two seasons after being in the Opening Day lineup, Borbon once again has the inside track for the center field job. He has had a good spring, with a .350 batting average, and Craig Gentry, his main competition, has gotten injured twice. Craig may still make the team, but Borbon will most likely start. After a slow start last year with a .232 April batting average, Julio got hot in May, hitting .333, before getting injured and then demoted, where he once again started off cold, then got hot, then got injured.
Percentage: 81.2%

Nelson Cruz (7-for-24, 1 HR, 6 RBI)
Cruz will obviously make the big league team on Opening Day, assuming he is healthy. When he has played the last three years he has been fantastic, with 20+ home runs and 75+ RBIs each year. He has also been super clutch in the playoffs with 14 home runs in 33 games. Cruz will be the starting right fielder and hit sixth, and he should go boomstick quite a few times this year.
Percentage: 100%

Craig Gentry (1-for-13, 1 RBI)
Craig has had about as bad a Spring Training as possible, with two injuries (hamstring and wrist) and an .077 batting average. However, he is not a guy who will hit for a high average and the Rangers know that. Gentry is a great defensive center fielder and is extremely fast (he was a perfect 18-for-18 on stolen base attempts last year). His spring will probably keep him from getting the starting center field job, but I still think he will be the team’s fifth outfielder.
Percentage: 68.7%

Josh Hamilton (4-for-25, 1 RBI)
As long as Josh is healthy on Opening Day, he will be the starting left fielder and will hit out of the three spot. He won MVP in 2010 and had another great year in 2011, hitting .298 with 25 home runs and 94 RBIs in just 121 games. The problem with Josh is that he can’t stay healthy, and that is the main reason that the Rangers probably won’t resign him even though he is a free agent this offseason. Enjoy watching Josh play this year because you probably won’t see him in a Rangers uniform come next April.
Percentage: 100%

Kyle Hudson (2-for-15, 1 RBI)
Even though Hudson had 28 major league at-bats with the Orioles last year, he has almost no chance at making the Opening Day roster. He has had a poor spring so far, and hit just .143 in those 28 at-bats in 2011. He has amazingly never hit a home run in 1422 combined minor league and major league at-bats. He could be called up at some point this year due to an injury since he is on the 40-man roster, but it is unlikely he will make the team to start the season.
Percentage: 8.2%

Conor Jackson (1-for-20, 1 HR, 1 RBI)
Coming into camp Conor had a very good shot at making the team, either as an outfielder or first baseman, but now he has almost no chance with his 1-for-20 start. He is currently hitting .050 with a .095 OBP, and no non-roster invite can get away with that kind of performance and make any team (except maybe the DisAstros). Conor spent the entire 2011 season in the majors, though, hitting .244 with 5 homers and 43 RBIs between the A’s and Red Sox.
Percentage: 15.4%

Leonys Martin (4-for-22, 1 HR, 1 RBI)
Leonys is another guy who was supposed to have a shot at cracking the Opening Day roster coming into Spring Training, but now has close to no chance. This time it wasn’t due to his play, however, as early on in camp, Ron Washington said that Martin will start off 2012 in Triple-A in order to get more experience. Last year was the first year in America for Leonys, a Cuban defector. He hit .295 with 38 stolen bases in 302 at-bats split between the AZL Rangers, Double-A Frisco, and Triple-A Round Rock, but he hit just .263 after getting called up to Triple-A. Leonys will be in the majors soon, maybe even at some point in this year, but not on Opening Day.
Percentage: 2.1%

David Murphy (11-for-28, 1 HR, 5 RBI)
Even though Murphy will most likely not start on Opening Day, David is a sure thing as far as making the roster goes. He is one of the top fourth outfielders in all of baseball and had another good year in 2011, with a .275 batting average to go along with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs. His pattern is to start off slow, as he had a pre-All-Star game average of .247 in 2011 and a .162 April batting average in 2010, but then get hot in the second half of the season. David should see plenty of playing time with the injury-prone outfielders that the Rangers have in Hamilton and Cruz.
Percentage: 100%

Yangervis Solarte (6-for-18, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
Solarte is a very interesting option for the Rangers. He has never been above Double-A, but he can play second, short, third, left, and right, kind of like a Jerry Hairston, Jr.. He also had a .329 average in the minors last year for Double-A New Britain, the team he played for the whole year, and has had a very good spring so far. His versatility and good performance give Solarte a good chance at the Opening Day roster, but his lack of experience will probably keep him off it to start off the year.
Percentage: 43.9%

Projected Opening Day Lineup:

Outfield:
RF – Nelson Cruz
CF – Julio Borbon
LF – Josh Hamilton
4th Outfielder – David Murphy
5th Outfielder – Craig Gentry

DH - Michael Young

Catchers:
Starting Catcher - Mike Napoli
Backup Catcher - Yorvit Torrealba

Infield:
1B – Mitch Moreland
2B – Ian Kinsler
SS – Elvis Andrus
3B – Adrian Beltre
UTIL – Alberto Gonzalez

Pitchers:
SP – Colby Lewis
SP – Derek Holland
SP – Yu Darvish
SP – Matt Harrison
SP – Neftali Feliz
Lefty Specialist – Michael Kirkman
Long Reliever – Scott Feldman
Middle Reliever – Yoshinori Tateyama (I gave this spot to Mark Hamburger when making my pitching predictions a few weeks ago but with their performances since then, I now predict that Tateyama will make the roster instead)
Middle Reliever – Mark Lowe
Set-up Man – Alexi Ogando
Set-up Man – Mike Adams
Closer – Joe Nathan

Come back next week for my Spring Training trip report.

Spring Training Catchers Analysis

The Rangers have 6 catchers in major league camp. I did an analysis of all the catchers in big league camp, gave their chances of making the team at the end of Spring Training, and predicted the catching roster. I’ve also included each player’s spring training stats as of this evening (March 17th).

Dusty Brown (0-for-2, 2 BB)
While Dusty provides good insurance for the Rangers at the position, with his 43 career major league at-bats, he has no chance at the Opening Day roster and will probably start the season as the Double-A back-up. He has seen almost no action this spring (just 4 plate appearances), and will almost surely see no big league action at all this year with the Rangers.
Percentage: 0%

Luis Martinez (7-for-14, 2 RBI)
Like Dusty, Martinez provides good depth for the Rangers at the catching position as he had 59 major league at-bats last year for the Padres, but unlike Dusty, Martinez actually has a chance at making the team at some point this year. He has seen a lot of game time in Spring Training so far, and has played very well. He has a career .364 minor league OBP and is very solid defensively. Martinez will almost certainly start off the season as the Triple-A starter.
Percentage: 5.3%

Mike Napoli (4-for-10, 1 RBI)
Mike will obviously be the starting catcher on Opening Day, but he hasn’t seen as much time this spring as he would have liked, as he has missed about a week due to a groin injury. He should be good to go by April 6th though, barring a re-aggravation. And if he plays, he should play brilliantly, as last year Mike hit 30 home runs and had 75 RBIs in just 369 at-bats. He also had a career-best .320 average and a .414 OBP. Napoli should be one of the top catchers in the league once again this year.
Percentage: 100%

Tommy Mendonca (2-for-4)
Mendonca was a third baseman up until this year, but with the backlog at that position with Adrian Beltre and Michael Olt, there was no spot for him to come up into the majors at that spot. The Rangers wanted to give him a chance to earn a spot at some point in his career after his 25-homer season in Frisco last year. If he can be good enough defensively to stay at catcher, Tommy will most likely start off the season as the starter at Double-A Frisco.
Percentage: 0%

Chris Robinson (3-for-10)
Robinson is another guy who can provide the Rangers with some solid depth at catcher, as, while he’s never made the majors, Chris has played at Triple-A three straight years now, hitting over .300 in two of those years, including a .316 average in 2011. He’s also decent defensively, as he has a high fielding percentage, but a mediocre percentage at catching base runners stealing. Robinson will most likely back up Luis Martinez at Triple-A Round Rock to start off the season.
Percentage: 0%

Yorvit Torrealba (5-for-17, 3 RBI)
Despite an altercation with an umpire this winter in the Venezuelan League, Torrealba will not be suspended and should certainly make the big league roster as a back up on the Opening Day roster. Yorvit hit fairly well last year for the Rangers, with a .273 batting average (.002 points higher than his 2010 batting average) to go along with 7 home runs and 37 RBIs, the exact same power numbers he posted in 2010. However, Torrealba was a bit of a disappointment defensively, as he was brought in as a great defensive catcher, but then threw out just 33% of base runners and made 9 errors. So while Yorvit will be the back-up catcher on Opening Day, if his defensive career trend continues, he may be shipped off by the trade deadline and replaced as back-up by Luis Martinez or Chris Robinson.
Percentage: 100%

Come back tomorrow for my Outfield and DH Spring Training Analysis.

Spring Training Infielders Analysis

The Rangers have 10 infielders in major league camp. I did an analysis of all the infielders in big league camp, gave their chances of making the team at the end of Spring Training, and predicted the infield roster. I’ve also included each player’s spring training stats as of this morning (March 10th).

Elvis Andrus (8-for-12, 2 RBI)
Elvis is going to be the Opening Day shortstop, no question. He has been great over his first three major league seasons, and last year posted career highs in batting average (.279), RBIs (60), stolen bases (37), runs (96), and hits (164), as well as a career low in strikeouts (74). Elvis should have an even better year this year than last, however, as his defense should improve after a 25-error season last year, and I think that he will come close to a 200-hit season.
Percentage: 100%

Adrian Beltre (4-for-11, 3 RBI)
Like Elvis, Adrian Beltre, barring an injury, will be in the starting lineup on Opening Day for sure. Last year Adrian put a stop to his reputation of being a player who only plays well in contract years, as he had one of the best seasons of his career. He hit .296, the third highest mark of his career, along with 32 home runs, the second most in his career, and 105 RBIs, also the second most in his career. Adrian will be the starting third baseman on Opening Day and should have another great year.
Percentage: 100%

Alberto Gonzalez (3-for-10, 3 RBI)
It’s not often that a non-roster invitee is the odds-on favorite to win a big league job, but that is the case here. The Rangers really don’t have any other middle infielders in big league camp that aren’t already big league starters, outside of fellow non-roster invites Luis Hernandez (who had 0 major league at-bats in 2011) and Greg Miclat (who has 0 career major league at-bats). However, Alberto is not a lock, as he hasn’t been a very good defensive shortstop over his career, with a .967 career fielding percentage at the position. Despite that poor career mark, he did have a .990 fielding percentage there last season, to go along with a .215 average and 32 RBIs.
Percentage: 71.8%

Brad Hawpe (0 ABs)
While Brad doesn’t have a great chance at making the Opening Day team, his window of opportunity is definitely widening with the poor play of Mitch Moreland at the beginning of Spring Training (he is 1-for-16 so far), on top of his bad postseason play (3-for-29 last year). Hawpe is currently recovering from a hamstring problem that has cost him the beginning of Spring Training, but he is expected to play soon. The Rangers hope that he can return to his 2006-2009 form, when he hit above .280 with 20+ home runs and 80+ RBIs every year, and not hit like his past two seasons, with batting averages below .250 and less than 10 homers. Brad could very well win the first base job.
Percentage: 34.6%

Luis Hernandez (2-for-8, 1 RBI)
Hernandez poses the only real threat to Alberto Gonzalez that is currently in the Rangers organization, but is an unlikely option, as he hasn’t played in the majors since 2010, with a season-ending foot surgery playing a big part of that last year. In 265 career at-bats, only 18 at-bats more than Gonzalez’ 2011 total, Luis has hit .245 with 3 homers and 20 RBIs. But, while Hernandez has less big league experience and isn’t as good of a hitter as Gonzalez, he is a better fielder, with a still-bad .977 career shortstop fielding percentage, which is a good .010 better than Alberto’s. Luis has also never made an error in 149 major league innings at second base, and his fielding is what gives him a chance to win the job.
Percentage: 32.5%

Ian Kinsler (3-for-14)
Kinsler is one of the top second basemen in all of baseball, and will make the Opening Day roster with no problems, as long as he can stay healthy through Spring Training. He is a two-time All-Star and should pick up a Gold Glove at some point in his career with his stellar defense. He hit 32 home runs for the Rangers last year hitting out of the leadoff spot, and had a .355 on-base-percentage in spite of a .255 batting average. Kinsler should have another outstanding year for the Rangers if he can stay on the field.
Percentage: 100%

Greg Miclat (2-for-10)
While Greg probably doesn’t have a very good shot at the Opening Day roster this year, as he has never been above Double-A, the former fifth-round pick out of Virginia has a chance to make the team at some point this year if Gonzalez and Hernandez don’t pan out. He has talent, as he hit .280 with a .371 OBP in 421 at-bats for Double-A Bowie in the Orioles farm system last year. He is a guy who could play a role for the Rangers in the near future, if not at some point this year.
Percentage: 12.3%

Mitch Moreland (1-for-16, 1 HR, 2 RBI)
Coming into the spring, Moreland was sitting pretty for the first base job, with his percentage probably in the 90s, despite his horrendous playoffs, where he hit .103 in 29 at-bats and committed 1 official error along with 2 or 3 more bad defensive plays. And that was after a very average season in which he hit .259 with 16 home runs and 51 RBIs. At this point, after starting the spring 1-for-16, the starting first base job is wide open for Hawpe, Conor Jackson, or Brandon Snyder to swoop in and take it from Moreland.
Percentage: 61.2%

Mike Olt (4-for-14)
Olt has really crashed onto the scene since getting drafted in 2010 out of UConn. He has played so well that he is now the #43 prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America. He has never been above High-A so he has no chance at starting off the season in the majors, and as a third baseman, he will most likely have to change positions to either first or left to get out from behind Adrian Beltre. Olt hit .267 with 14 home runs and 42 RBIs with High-A Myrtle Beach last year while flashing a stellar glove in the field. Mike won’t be on the Opening Day roster, but he has a very bright future.
Percentage: 0.6%

Brandon Snyder (2-for-5, 3 RBI)
Snyder hasn’t lived up to hype of being a first round pick yet since being drafted in 2005 by the Orioles. So far in his career he has only 33 at-bats, and at age 25, he needs to get his career going soon. And with the rough start for Moreland so far this spring, Brandon has a chance to win the job and a chance to make the Opening Day roster. Last year in Triple-A, Brandon hit .261 with 14 home runs and 71 RBIs with the Norfolk Tide. With a good spring and some help, Brandon could be the starting first baseman on Opening Day.
Percentage: 30.1%

Projected Infield Lineup:
1B – Mitch Moreland
2B – Ian Kinsler
SS – Elvis Andrus
3B – Adrian Beltre
UTIL – Alberto Gonzalez (along with Michael Young of course, who I’ll cover in the Catchers/DH entry)

Come back in a few days for my Spring Training Catchers/DH Analysis.

Spring Training Pitchers Analysis Part 2

The Rangers have 32 pitchers in major league camp. Last week I did an analysis of the first 16 pitchers who are in big league camp and gave their chances of making the team at the end of Spring Training. I will do the same for the last 16 this week and have included each player’s stats from last year. I will also predict the pitching roster.

Colby Lewis (14-10, 4.40 ERA, 169 K with Rangers in 2011)
Even though Colby had an ERA above 4.00 last year, Ron Washington has already named him the Opening Day starter. For the second straight year, Colby has 200+ innings and a solid to mediocre regular season ERA (3.72 in 2010, 4.40 in 2011), but then followed that up with outstanding postseasons (1.71 playoff ERA in 2010, 3.04 in 2011). He has piled up 4 career playoff wins to just one loss and a 2.34 career playoff ERA. There is no chance that he is left off the big league roster, barring an injury.
Percentage chance of making the Opening Day roster: 100%

Mark Lowe (45 IP, 3.80 ERA, 42 K with Rangers in 2011)
Mark put up solid numbers last year with the Rangers, with a 3.80 ERA, yet, as is the norm with him, was very inconsistent, with a 13.50 April ERA, an ERA of 0.87 in May, followed by ERAs from June to September of 4.50, 3.38, 3.27, and 4.91. So while Lowe may be a good pitcher, he is not a very dependable guy. And on top of that, he has been a horrendous postseason pitcher, as in just 1.2 playoff innings over the last two years, he has allowed 7 runs, all earned, which totals up to a 37.80 ERA. He will almost certainly make the team, but he isn’t a certainty to be on the roster all year long.
Percentage: 91.8%

Roman Mendez (9-1, 3.31 ERA, 130 K, 117 IP with High-A Hickory in 2011)
Even though Roman has never been past High-A and therefore has no chance of making the Opening Day roster, he has quickly turned into a very good prospect for the Rangers since coming over in the trade that sent Jarrod Saltalamacchia to the Red Sox. After a 5.73 season ERA in 2010, Mendez really turned it around, posting a 3.31 ERA in 2011, including a 2.85 ERA in the second half of the season. He has no chance at the roster to start off this season, but he could work his way up fast enough to have a chance to make the bigs and some point in 2013.
Percentage: 0%

Justin Miller (69.2 IP, 1.81 ERA, 77 K with Double-A Frisco in 2011)
One of five Justin Miller’s throughout the minor leagues, Justin dominated the Texas League, with a 1.81 ERA and a .185 opponent’s batting average. He really doesn’t have much of a chance at the big league team on Opening Day, but based on how well he pitched in Double-A last year, should start off the season at Triple-A, and could very well make it to the majors at some point this season.
Percentage: 2.3%

Joe Nathan (44.2 IP, 4.84 ERA, 43 K with Twins in 2011)
Despite a 4.84 ERA last year, and 0 innings pitched in 2010 due to Tommy John surgery, Nathan will enter this season as the Rangers Opening Day closer. He has overall had an outstanding career, with 261 career saves and a 2.87 career ERA, including ERAs of 2.70, 1.58, 1.88, 1.33, and 2.10 from ’05-’09. And after a poor start last year, Joe really picked it up after the All-Star break, with a 3.91 second half ERA, which was enough to convince the Rangers that he is ready to be a top-tier closer again.
Percentage: 100%

Alexi Ogando (169 IP, 3.51 ERA, 126 K with Rangers in 2011)
Even though Alexi was an All-Star as a starter last season, the Rangers are going to move him back to the bullpen for two main reasons: 1) Alexi wore down by the end of the year and 2) The Rangers want Neftali Feliz to be a starter this year. Ogando has plenty of experience with being a relief pitcher, as he threw 41.2 innings out of the bullpen in 2010, and was a reliever throughout both of the Rangers two playoff runs. He had a 1.30 ERA in 2010 as a reliever. He will no doubt make the Opening Day roster.
Percentage: 100%

Martin Perez (8-6, 4.33 ERA, 120 K, 137 IP with Triple-A Round Rock and Double-A Frisco in 2011)
Despite his 4.33 ERA last season, including a 6.43 Triple-A ERA, Martin is still considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and is still just 21 years old. He almost certainly won’t make the Opening Day roster, as not only is he not ready, but the Rangers want to break him into the big leagues as a starter, either in 2013 or 2014. However, chances are good that he will be called up in September to pitch out of the bullpen if Perez can have a more successful season with the Express than he did last year.
Percentage: 5.6%

Neil Ramirez (5-3, 3.12 ERA, 119 K, 98 IP with High-A Myrtle Beach, Double-A Frisco, and Triple-A Round Rock in 2011)
Like Perez, Neil Ramirez is one of the top prospects in the Rangers system, ranking #6 according to Baseball America. And even though he threw 74.1 innings in Triple-A last year, the odds are heavily stacked against him making the Opening Day roster. He will most likely start off the season with Round Rock, but may be called up fairly early on in the season to make his major league debut in a spot start for an injured starter if needed.
Percentage: 11.3%

Greg Reynolds (19.1 IP, 6.05 ERA, 10 K with Rockies in 2011)
Greg was acquired in the offseason from Colorado for 1B Chad Tracy, the son of Rockies manager Jim Tracy, and while he almost certainly won’t make the Opening Day roster, Reynolds will provide good depth in case of injury as he has pitched in the majors in four of the last five seasons. He will have to have an unbelievable Spring Training in order to avoid starting of the season in Triple-A.
Percentage: 13.6%

Robbie Ross (10-5, 2.34 ERA, 134 K, 161.1 IP with High-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Frisco in 2011)
His presence in big league camp is mostly just to help with his development, as he has never pitched above Double-A in his career. Last year, Robbie pitched lights-out, with a 2.34 ERA between High-A and Double-A, and had an incredibly low 33 walks in 161.1 innings to go along with a fantastic 1.46 ground out to fly out ratio, along with yet another great statistic in opponents batting average, where he held opposing batters to a .228 average. On top of that, he held lefties to a .143 average while with Frisco. That stat is what gives him a chance of making the Opening Day roster if all goes wrong with the lefty specialist competition this spring. The Rangers would really like for him to start the season off in Double-A.
Percentage: 0.8%

Tanner Scheppers (43.2 IP, 3.71 ERA, 44 K with Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock in 2011)
For the second straight season, Tanner split the season between Double-A and Triple-A, this time with a little more success at the higher level. After a 5.48 Triple-A ERA in 2010, Scheppers improved that to a 4.35 ERA at that level in 2011. Tanner probably hasn’t had enough minor league success yet to have a great chance at the Opening Day roster, but with a great spring, he has a chance to take the last bullpen spot to start off the season.
Percentage: 23.1%

Ben Snyder (11-5, 3.87 ERA, 67 K, 118.2 IP with Double-A Frisco in 2011)
A Rule-5 draft pick a couple of years ago, Ben was turned into a starter halfway through last season, and really doesn’t have much of a chance at making the Opening Day team. Ben will most likely start off at Frisco for the third straight season, and is nowhere close to being major league ready, as he had a 4.15 ERA as a starter last year.
Percentage: 0%

Mitch Stetter (7 IP, 5.14 ERA, 7 K with Brewers in 2011)
Stetter is one of many pitchers battling it out for the lefty specialist job on the Rangers Opening Day roster, but as a non-roster invite with just 10.2 major league innings combined the past two seasons, he will need a great spring to win the job. He has, however, had success at the big league level, with ERAs of 3.20 and 3.60 in 2008 and 2009. Chances are Mitch will start the season at Round Rock and provide good depth, but he has a shot at the Opening Day team.
Percentage: 36.7%

Yoshinori Tateyama (44 IP, 4.50 ERA, 43 K with Rangers in 2011)
I hope I’m wrong, but unfortunately I think that Yoshi has a decent shot at making the team out of Spring Training. He is going to fight for the final bullpen spot along with Mark Hamburger, Cody Eppley, and Tanner Scheppers among others. Tateyama started off pitching very well when he was first called up to Texas, with a 1.80 May ERA, 4.50 June ERA, and 2.16 July ERA, but then imploded late in the season, allowing 13 runs, all earned, in his final 6 innings pitched, including grand slams on back-to-back pitches, something that had never been done before. I really don’t want to see him on the Opening Day roster, but with a good spring he could make it.
Percentage: 41.3%

Koji Uehara (65 IP, 2.35 ERA, 85 K with Orioles and Rangers in 2011)
Don’t let those numbers shown above fool you. Uehara was awful last year for the Rangers, posting a 4.00 ERA after being acquired in late July, and on top of his disappointing regular season stint, Uehara had a 33.75 postseason ERA, and no, that is not a typo. By his last couple of outings, Koji didn’t even seem interested in pitching, he had lost so much confidence. The Rangers owe him $4 million this year, but are looking to trade him, and I believe they will get a deal done. Even if he isn’t traded, with a bad spring, Koji still might not make the team.
Percentage: 49.6%

Matt West (27 IP, 3.00 ERA, 35 K with Short-Season-A Spokane and High-A Myrtle Beach in 2011)
Matt never had a chance at making the team out of Spring Training, as he still hasn’t had a full pro season yet, and now he really doesn’t have a chance, as he is now injured. The extent of the injury is not yet known. Matt got his career off to a good start last season, as he had a 3.00 ERA in his first pro baseball, and, depending on the injury, should have a bright future ahead of him.
Percentage: 0%

Projected Pitching Roster:
SP – Colby Lewis
SP – Derek Holland
SP – Yu Darvish
SP – Matt Harrison
SP – Neftali Feliz
Lefty Specialist – Michael Kirkman
Long Reliever/Innings Eater – Mark Hamburger
Long Reliever – Scott Feldman
Middle Reliever – Mark Lowe
Set-up Man – Alexi Ogando
Set-up Man – Mike Adams
Closer – Joe Nathan

Just Missed:
LHP Joe Beimel (45.6%)
RHP Cody Eppley (41.6%)
LHP Mitch Stetter (36.7%)
RHP Yoshinori Tateyama (41.3%)
RHP Koji Uehara (49.6%)

Come back next week for my catchers and infielders Spring Training Analysis.