There are some old Texas Rangers and some new Texas Rangers who either have to perform this season to keep their job, or they have to perform because of the faith that the organization has placed in those players. I am going to address the players that I feel really need to step it up if the Rangers are going to make it back to the promise land in 2011. I hope you enjoy the next few days of posts.
This first young man was touted as a great prospect when he was first called to the big leagues in 2008, and he showed some of that during that season. Derek Holland is still a young pitcher, but he is no longer an inexperienced pitcher. Derek Holland was fantastic in the post season in 2010. But lets not get ahead of ourselves. Lets begin at minor leagues.
Derek Holland was a great minor league pitcher. He came up through the system relatively quickly, only pitching in 55 games (53 starts). He was 23 and 9 with an ERA of 2.47. He struck out 302 while only walking 82. He had a minor league WHIP of 1.061. Completely dominating. And that is why the Rangers and Ranger fans were excited about the call up that Holland received in 2009.
2009 did not go as well as everyone hoped that it would, but it was not the end of the world either. Holland got some much needed major league experience during the race for the AL West. As we all know, the Rangers fell apart in September of 2009, and the Angels took the division rather easily. Holland appeared in 33 games (21 starts) and had an ERA north of 6 with 107 strikeouts to 47 base on balls. His base on balls for 9 innings was 3.1. But his problem was not walks, it was hitting the middle of the strike zone. Holland gave up 26 HR’s in only 33 games. (as opposed to the 16 he gave up in all of his minor league starts). Not the worst, but the homeruns were a little disconcerting.
2010 rolled around, and Holland was on track for hitting the starting rotation when opening day came around, then he suffered an injury that really sidelined him for most of the season. He wound up only starting 10 games in the 2010 campaign, and only appeared in 14 games. But he got a chance to attempt to shine in the post season in 2010.
In the ALDS, Holland appeared in 2 games, 1 went poorly, and 1 went well. He wound up giving up 3 runs in the series while only walking one, striking out 4. Not bad for such a young guy in his first playoff series. Next, in the ALCS vs. the NY Yankees, Holland got into two games again, but this time it went much better, as did the series. He gave up no runs to the Yankees in 5.2 innings. This was the Holland that the Rangers and their fans had been looking for, the kind of dominance that they had seen at the minor league level. And then came the World Series against the Giants. We will not post what Derek Holland’s World Series ERA is (okay, we will, its 27.00).
He only appeared in 1 game with two on, and proceeded to walk 4 batters, resulting in 3 earned runs. He never pitched again in the series. I am sure that left a bad taste in both the Rangers and Derek Holland’s mouth. He had a much better post season than that though. His overall post season ERA is 4.76.
So what does it all mean. Here is what it all means. On a team that now has C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Tommy Hunter, Brandon Webb already set as the first 4 starters, and a 40 man roster that includes guys like Scott Feldman, Alexi Ogando, Eric Hurley, Matt Harrison, Omar Beltre and more, this is going to be Hollands year to either show that all the potential will finally pay off at the big league level. If not, look for Holland to be used in either a trade or to be sent back down and forgotten. What do we here at The Ranger Report think is going to happen? We think that Holland will come through, if he can stay healthy, and become a dominate pitcher at the major league level. At least, he better!
