MLB: A Closer Look at the Division Leaders

(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

West: Texas Rangers (40-32)

Strengths: offense, defense, bullpen

Weaknesses: starting pitching, depth, too aggressive at the plate

Top competition: LA Angels of Anaheim (39-32), 0.5 GB; Seattle Mariners (37-36), 3.5 GB

Last year, Texas had the best offense in the league. Counterbalancing that, they also had some of the league's worst pitching and defense. That was changed this winter, as the Rangers signed Omar Vizquel, and giving the starting shortstop job to Elvis Andrus.

Andrus, along with Ian Kinsler, Chris Davis, and Michael Young, has helped Texas improve vastly upon last season's sloppy infield defense. In center field, Marlon Byrd has provided great range and defensive effort in the absence of Josh Hamilton.

Obviously, offense still hasn't been a problem for this team. Even without All-Star Josh Hamilton, the Rangers offense has been tearing the cover off the ball. Nelson Cruz leads the team with 18 home runs, 45 runs batted in, and 11 stolen bases.

Second baseman Ian Kinsler has been doing even better, with 18 homers, 50 RBI, and 16 stolen bases, while also hitting .272.

Michael Young, who has been moved to third base, is hitting .307 with 10 home runs, while both Hank Blalock and Chris Davis have knocked 14 dingers each.

The bullpen has been about equivalent in success to the offense this year. Eddie Guardado has struggled, but everyone else is picking up the slack. Swingman Jason Jennings has worked 40 innings, amassing a 3.83 ERA.

Darren O'Day, C.J. Wilson, and Frank Francisco have been lights out at the back end of the 'pen. O'Day has struck out 24 batters in 26 innings, earning a sterling 1.38 ERA.

Set-up man and part-time closer, Wilson has finally gotten over the control issues that have plagued his short career. Wilson has a 2.67 ERA, while also slamming the door for seven saves filling in occasionally for the closer Francisco. Francisco only has 12 saves, but in 22 innings, he has struck out 23 batters with 1.23 ERA.

The Rangers starting pitching has been a bit shaky, though. Despite Kevin Millwood leading the way with eight wins and a 2.64 ERA, inconsistency has plagued the rest of the rotation.

Vicente Padilla has a 4.48 ERA with five wins, and Scott Feldman owns a 4.06 ERA with five wins. Those two have been decent, but Matt Harrison and rookie Derek Holland have been up and down all year. Currently, Harrison's ERA is upwards of 6.00, and Holland is just under at 5.77.

The aggressive approach at the plate has been crippling to this team at times as well. Chris Davis' struggles have been prolific, as he has hit just .210, striking out 105 times in 233 at-bats. At this point, Davis, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Nelson Cruz have combined for 237 strikeouts and a .242 batting average.

When perhaps the three guys that Texas were relying on most to drive in runs this year with Hamilton on the shelf, it will be very hard to score runs when these guys are making worse contact with Julio Lugo, especially with Chris Davis looking primed to set the single-season strikeout record.

After hitting .280 last year, what has happened to Davis' ability to make contact with the ball?

Texas is playing some very good baseball this year, but their division is by no means a lock. They currently sit just a half game ahead of Los Angeles, and Seattle is lurking not too far behind, three and a half games out.

This is one of the most wide-open races in baseball, so Texas needs to keep up this high rate of play to hold off the Angels.

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