Mike Minor was pretty good in 2018. 12-8 with a 4.18 ERA good. He was the best pitcher on the Rangers staff. Minor is looking even better so far in 2019. 2-1 with a 2.60 ERA. He pitched his first complete game shutout on Tuesday night against the Angels, the first of his career. He has twenty-two strikeouts to just eight walks so far.
Minor has been improving since his first start in 2018. He has impressed in the 2019 season for sure. His career ERA is 3.93, and his year plus Rangers ERA is 3.95. The 31 year old seems to be in good shape and good form at the moment.
In a season where I believed the Rangers would be dreadful it’s nice to see that I am wrong so far. Joey Gallo, Elvis Andrus, Mike Minor and Asdrubal Cabrera have been breaths of fresh air for the team. Elvis is on fire, Asdrubal has been better than advertised, and let’s not forget Danny Santana as Rougned Odor’s replacement. Rangers baseball has been fun to watch the first sixteen games.
An old adage says that winning is contagious, and it seems to be true. The Rangers are rolling in the right direction, probably a year or two early. Although I still don’t see them as a contender in 2019, I do see them as a team that is going to be better than I predicted in all my wisdom. I will not change my prediction this early, but I have a feeling that I am going to have to eat my words later in the season.
One of the big differences so far has been Mike Minor. If the rest of the pitching staff can start to emulate him, they could become a dangerous team in a big hurry. Either way, it has been a joy to watch Mike Minor pitch his first several games, and I really hope it continues.
