With Spring Training getting ready to kick of this week, my level of excitement is going up. It is my favorite time of the year. Time to see if all the off-season speculation that we all did will work out or be thrown by the wayside. The Texas Rangers brought in some free agents like Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, and Mike Napoli. The Rangers have a pretty healthy looking rotation with Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels leading the way. They still have Adrian Beltre at first. They still have Rougned Odor at second. They have Elvis Andrus at short stop. The team looks strong.
Early predictions have the Astros winning the West. While they have put together quite a team, I, as a long time Rangers fan, just don’t see it. There is too much talent on the Rangers club to give up the division to a team who was built to try and win. Will the Astros be good? I think so. I also think the Rangers will be better.
Here is what I expect from the Rangers in 2017:
- The Rangers will win 95 games.
- The Rangers will win the AL West by 5 or more games.
- Yu Darvish will be in the conversation for the Cy Young Award.
- The Rangers Jeff Bannister will once again be in the running for Manager of the year.
- Sam Dyson will still be the closer at the end of the 2017 season (if healthy).
- Tyson Ross will be very, very good.
- Matt Bush will repeat his success from 2016.
- Joey Gallo and Jurickson Profar will be traded at some point ( I hope I’m wrong on this one).
- The Rangers will not face the Blue Jays in the playoffs.
I could be wrong on most of this, but that is what I am expecting to see in 2017 from my Texas Rangers? Am I right or am I crazy? I guess only time will tell.
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