First of all, Happy new year to everyone out there. I hope it is a better year for all of us than 2020 was. The beginning of the year is always a time to look forward with high hopes for the year to come. Baseball is no different. I want the Rangers to be better in 2021, but I am not sure if they will be. With that being said, I am going to give my five optimistic predictions for the 2021 Rangers season. I am sure they are going to be wrong, but where’s the fun if you’re always right?
Prediction Number 1: The Rangers rotation will fare better than they did in 2020. The Starters ERA in 2020 was 5.81. That was good enough to finish last in the American league. With the subtraction of Lance Lynn and the addition of Kohei Arihara, I am not sure they are going to be a whole lot better. Will they make more moves before the season begins? So far Chris Young has shown he doesn’t mind trading people. As it stands today, the rotation depth chart according to texasrangers.com is 1. Kyle Gibson 2. Jordan Lyles 3. Kohei Arihara 4. Wes Benjamin 5. Kyle Cody with Kolby Allard and Dane Dunning listed as six and seven respectively. A spring training battle between these 7 men may be a good thing for the rotation going forward. I think that if they are better, they will be slightly better. My prediction would be an ERA around 4.95.
Prediction Number 2: Elvis Andrus will be an everyday player. I am not a fan of the way they moved Elvis from the everyday shortstop. I’m not saying he played great last season, but still, he is the team leader. If the Rangers are smart, they will start him at third. He has a high baseball IQ. I think that the Rangers are going to find a way to get Elvis in the lineup on a daily basis.
Prediction Number 3: Nate Lowe is going to be the first baseman of the future, Ronald Guzman will get traded. The Rangers have not had anyone consistent at first since Mitch Moreland basically. They need one of two things to happen: Either Lowe needs to be great, or Guzman needs to step it up and be even better. I think that Guzman has had enough time and has not blossomed into the player they were hoping. Maybe Lowe can be. I think Lowe wins the job and Guzman does get traded to another team either before the season starts or not long into it.
Prediction Number 4: Rougned Odor will be your everyday second baseman. Every Rangers fan I know keeps asking me why in the world Odor is still our starting second baseman. I have been asking the same question since 2019. The front office seems to like him a lot, but talk about a guy that has not lived up to his potential. I think he will find a way to have a great spring training and work his way back into the starting spot. I don’t think he will preform much better than he did any other season, but somehow he will still have the job. What does that mean for Nick Solak? I guess we will wait and see.
Prediction Number 5: Willie Calhoun will thrive as the DH. It looks like Calhoun lost his outfield spot to David Dahl. That may be a good thing. If he focuses on his hitting he may finally be the offensive threat the Rangers hoped they were getting in the Yu Darvish trade. I think Calhoun will have a nice season as the Rangers DH and that he will get back into the outfield soon after 2021.
Do you have any predictions or think I am off base on any of mine? Let me know in the comments below, on Twitter or Facebook, or leave a voice comment on the podcast. Happy New Year. Baseball is getting closer!
