Seattle Mariners: The other four teams, a preview of the 2020 AL West
Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers. (Photo by Mike LaChance, via Flickr)
Texas Rangers
Over/under: 32 wins.
Odds to win A.L. West: +1800.
2020 Song Quote: “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
Big Question: Can the Texas Rangers hit enough solo home runs to stay competitive?
Fun Question: What if you built a super cool new stadium, and no one shows up?
Best under the radar move: Todd Frazier is the kind of vocal locker room leader the team has been missing for years.
At a Glance
For the past few years, Rangers fans have endured a rebuild on the fly. Their stars either retired or were traded away, to build capital for the 2020 season.
Last year Texas’ starting pitching staff was Mike Minor, Lance Lynn, and whoever they could find to pitch the other three games. In the offseason, GM John Daniels traded for Corey Kluber from Cleveland and signed both Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles as free agents. In comparison to 2019, their rotation has vastly improved, but the bullpen still the same hot mess its been for years.
Robinson Chirinos is back from a year in Houston to handle the catching duties. Also joining the team this year is power-hitting third baseman Todd Frazier who should give some support to the team’s marquee player Joey Gallo and 2019 revelation Danny Santana. The Rangers will hit their share of home runs this year, but will also have more than their share of strikeouts.
What the Seattle Mariners can learn from Texas
The M’s should have learned this last year on their own. Making contact is essential. Solo home runs don’t make up for poor discipline at the plate and lousy pitching.
PNWS Prediction for 2020
The bullpen will kill any momentum this team gets. Additionally, there are plenty of power hitters, but not enough guys who can get on base ahead of them. Texas and the Seattle Mariners will be in a dogfight for fourth place.