If the youth of this team can mold into the framework provided by players like Young, Kinsler, Byrd, and Hamilton—combine Harrison with another successful year from Millwood and Padilla—then I don't think it's a stretch to add another seven games in the win column.
Take the record stated earlier from keeping players healthy, add the seven extra wins, and you suddenly have a team that is 30 games over .500 with a 96-66 record and is a legitimate title contender. The mighty Angels were favorites to win the World Series this season and finished with 100 wins.
Keeping the Tank Full
It's no secret that the Rangers have a history of slowing down after the All Star break. It was again evident last season. Josh Hamilton had a historic offensive showing in the first half of the season. During the second half, he produced only slightly higher numbers than a pinch-hitter for the Royals (Royals fans: I know, my complaint box from you is full).
With less offensive production, the pitching staff is required to take more of the work. Again, it's no secret either that the Rangers have pitching trouble (for more on this, refer to my first article).
Millwood was fairly strong down the stretch, but he also missed several starts during the middle of the season due to injury. Padilla began to struggle late in the season. The bullpen was horrid at the end of the season. Hence, the Rangers were being mentioned as a possible contended up until August.
When the calendars changed to September, the Rangers were an afterthought. They sank down the standings in August to all but crush their postseason dreams. Good clubs make the playoffs by finishing strong—perfect examples are the Rockies and Phillies in 2007 and the White Sox last season.
In order for this club to finish strong, they have to learn to maintain their level of play throughout the hot Texas summer and into the cooler weather of October.
It's easy to write down answers to problems plaguing the team. It's a little more difficult to justify how the team will accomplish those answers. So, how do the Rangers achieve the three answers listed above that will return them to the postseason?
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