How The West Was Won

To the untrained the Texas Rangers may not be a Major League Baseball franchise that jumps out as a storied organization. But since 1996, the Rangers have seven playoff appearances which included consecutive American League Pennants in 2010 and 2011. After a 95 loss campaign in 2014, the Rangers hired Jeff Banister to be their manager. And what Banister has brought to the Rangers is a breath of fresh air as he treats his players like men, while blending the talents of his team; young and old into a cohesive unit. The Rangers won 88 games last year en route to winning the A.L. West for the first time since their last trip to the World Series in 2011, and in spite of the fact that Texas fell to the Toronto Blue Jays last October in the playoffs, it has not deterred them from focusing on getting back to the postseason as they’re determined to ultimately win the World Series.

The Rangers have not been under .500 since April 8 and they’ve been the team to beat in the American League West in spite of the fact that they’ve dealt with a laundry list of issues. Starting pitcher Yu Darvish is in the process of regaining the form that made him a three-time Major League Baseball All-Star as he missed the entire 2015 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery. In 2014, the Rangers acquired first baseman/designated hitter Prince Fielder from the Detroit Tigers. And after Fielder was limited to just 42 games in 2014 due to a herniated disk, he returned last year to bat .305 with 23 homers and 98 runs batted in to be named as the A.L. Comeback of the Year. But here in 2016, Fielder’s neck injury continued to persist and he was forced to retire last month. Starting pitcher Colby Lewis has seen his fair share of ups and downs during his tenure as an MLB pitcher, however his presence provides depth to the Rangers starting rotation that he has been away from since June 21 due to a shoulder injury. After saving 35 games for the Rangers last year, relief pitcher Shawn Tolleson struggled mightily which was evident by his 7.68 earned run average before he ended up on the 60-day disabled list. But through all of these issues the Rangers have survived which is a credit to Banister and team general manager Jon Daniels who in his 11 years as one of the key decision makers in the organization has established a quality system that allows Texas to be a consistent contender.

With the likes of third baseman Adrian Beltre and second baseman Rougned Odor leading the way, the Rangers are third in the American League in runs batted in (620), fourth in runs scored (635), fourth in home runs (177) and fifth in batting average (.263) as it has been a combination of veterans in Texas and newcomers carrying the club.

Late in the free agency last winter, the Rangers rolled the dice on signing outfielder Ian Desmond. Desmond spent the first seven years of his Major League Baseball career with the Washington Nationals as a shortstop. But after Desmond rejected the Nationals qualifying offer of $15.8 million, he sought a long-term contract that never came to fruition over the winter. Instead Desmond had to settle for a one-year deal from the Rangers that is worth $8 million while also taking up a new position. With the Rangers, Desmond has spent time in both center field and left field, while at the plate he is batting .290 with 21 home runs and 78 runs batted in.

Prior to Major League Baseball’s trade deadline last month, Daniels was able to acquire veteran outfielder/designated hitter Carlos Beltran from the New York Yankees, while he also signed veteran outfielder Carlos Gomez. Beltran is a lifetime .281 hitter, while he also has a wealth of postseason experience from his time with the Houston Astros, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, and Yankees. Gomez befuddled the Rangers last year during his time with Astros and although that he is only batting .160 in 25 at-bats so far with Texas, there is always the good chance that he can get hot at the plate which would be a shot in the arm for this club.

Although Odor might be slight in stature at 5’11”, 195 lbs., he makes up for it with heart and determination. Odor is just in his third Major League Baseball campaign, but this year he is leading the club in home runs with 27 which included his walk-off blast this past Tuesday night in the Rangers 8-7 victory over the Seattle Marniers, while he has won over the folks in the Lone Star State.

Last October, the Rangers and Blue Jays clashed in an epic American League Divisional Series. The Rangers won the first two games in Toronto, but as they headed home only needing one victory to advance to the next round, they were unable to get it. The decisive Game 5 took place at the Rogers Centre in Toronto in what was a back and forth affair. The game would ultimately be decided in the bottom of the seventh inning when Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista hit a massive three-run home run. However after Bautista made contact, he stared at the Rangers dugout before slamming his bat down as he prepared to round the bases. This led to both dugouts emptying which wasn’t lost on the Rangers as they headed into 2016.

This past May when the Jays came Arlington to face the Rangers, it hit the fan when Bautista slid into Odor at second base in the top of the eighth inning. Odor showed off his boxing skills which Bautista didn’t want any parts off as both benches cleared. Odor would receive an eight-game suspension from Major League Baseball which was initially reduced to seven games, but he had earned the respect from the folks in Texas which included one establishment there offering him free barbecue for life.

Beltre continues to be the ageless wonder for the Rangers as he is now finding himself in discussions about one day becoming a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Rangers are Beltre’s fourth different Major League Baseball franchise as he has also suited up from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mariners, and Boston Red Sox. Beltre is in his sixth season with the Rangers and aside from his quirky follow through on his home run swings, and his pet peeve of teammates not touching his head, he has been a clutch player with Texas which is evident by his wins above replacement (WAR) of 36 that is tied with Buddy Bell for third most in franchise history.

As a team the Rangers have been a very resilient bunch. The Rangers have won their last five games which included a three-game sweep of the Mariners which all but ended any realistic chances of them winning the American League West here in 2016. The Rangers have an 8.5-game lead over the second place Astros in the division who themselves could be put out to pasture this weekend in their three-game series against Texas. The Rangers find themselves in the midst of a 29-game stretch against divisional opponents and as they are set to cake walk to the AL West crown, they can also secure home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

The Baltimore Orioles, Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Yankees are all beating up on each other in the American League West, while the Cleveland Indians cannot put away the Detroit Tigers and Royals in the AL Central. And as the Rangers magic number to clinch the A.L. West Title is now 20, they can smell the finish line; especially after the A.L. won the All-Star Game this past July which gives them home-field advantage throughout if they are able to take care of their business. The Rangers are rolling at the plate, and their pitching staff will get a jolt very soon as Lewis is expected to re-join Texas’ starting rotation that already has Darvish and Cole Hamels. Banister also knows that he has one of the closers in baseball in relief pitcher Sam Dyson who has 30 saves this season which only enhances the Rangers chances.

But the Rangers appear to be headed to the postseason, this is a team that has been close in the past, however this time around they have more than just a puncher’s chance to win it all.

Source: Baseball-reference.com