After 13 games the Rangers are 5-8 and in last place in the AL West, but ironically only 1.5 games out of first place. Sadly the team ranks last in team batting average at .211, which is last in all of MLB. They are slightly better in OBP ranked 22nd. The are ranked #27 in the league with a 4.70 ERA, and the monstrous 1.55 WHIP is by far the worst in all of baseball. Finally, they are #23 in fielding percentage, but the DER ratio is .661 the worst in the league.
Clearly, this is the worst team in all of baseball after 13 games.
However, there are still 149 games left to play, so it is a long way from over. Yet, before the season started I picked the team to finish 3rd in the West. There are many reasons why the team is struggling so much early. Certainly, the team missing four of five starters hurts. What many seem to forget is that besides Yu Darvish and Derek Holland being out, two key starters that the team was counting on this year, they are also still without Martin Perez and Matt Harrison. Between those four starting pitchers that accounts for a huge percentage of the entire payroll.
Yu Darvish $11 million
Derek Holland $5.7 million
Matt Harrison $11 million
Martin Perez $3.125 million
Add to that Sin Soo Choo who has been a complete disaster in the field and batting a whopping .152, and earning $18.5 million, which is more than Adrian Beltre who is also hitting .151.
There are a couple of bright spots in Prince Fielder who is hitting .385, but with no home runs. Nick Martinez is 2-0 with a 0 ERA.
Yovani Gallardo, and Colby Lewis are having decent starts too. Ross Detwiler has been a complete disaster, he will probably get one more start to turn it around before something happens to him.
The question is how does this team get better, what can manager Bannister and the GM Daniels do to make this team better.
The first thing that has to happen is the team has to hit as it did against Seattle on Sunday when they scored 10 runs. Hitting and scoring runs will cure many whoa’s. Something drastic must be done with the bull pen. They have to find a couple of left handers, because just like on Sunday the match-ups killed them, because there was no way to stop the rally’s without key match-ups.
The fact is that 3 of 5 starters are pitching decently. The other glaring need is for more right-handed bats, because as I wrote in another article, it is easier for other teams to match the Rangers by having hard throwing lefties.
To summarize two different starters, two left-handed relievers, and one right-handed bat. Does that come from the minors or via trade, time will tell, but Daniels and company need to do something because allowing these numbers to continue will see this team eliminated by the end of May.
The other thought by some is that Bannister needs to get this teams attention. He may or may not be a screamer but he needs to get their attention.
