Why Texas Rangers' Success Is Not Sustainable

The Texas Rangers are off to a blistering hot start. They finished off the month of April with a win against the Toronto Blue Jays, improving their record to 17-6, 6.5 games ahead of Seattle and Oakland in the AL West. 

Mind-boggling statistics like a plus-56 run differential and Josh Hamilton's monster start with a .395 average, nine homers and almost half as many RBI as Pittsburgh's entire team, are too impressive to ignore for the time being.

But in Major League Baseball, they play 162 games, and 23 is a very small sample size. I'll be the first to admit it: I think Texas is a legitimate threat in the American League and a favorite to make the playoffs, but not necessarily as the division winner.

Hamilton's numbers will level off, well, at least come back down to earth a little, and their biggest threat in the division, the Los Angeles Angels, will turn it around.

Not to mention the injury bug has already hit Texas. Key hitters Michael Young, Adrian Beltre and Hamilton are all listed as day-to-day, and Hamilton left during a game against Tampa Bay due to back stiffness. As the season progresses and the state of Texas heats up, watch out for those injuries to progress and eventually set back the team as a whole.

The AL West, as a division, has been rather surprising so far as well. Every team has met or exceeded expectations other than the sputtering Angels, and when it comes time for the Rangers to play large chunks of games against their division foes, expect hotly contested matchups and some losses for Texas.

I do believe the Rangers will be in the playoff mix throughout the season, but not nearly at the level they're performing at now, due mostly to the fact that the team is on an extremely hot streak and is bound to cool off, as other teams they play will heat up.

Injuries need to be accounted for, and although closer Joe Nathan has performed well so far, converting 6-of-7 save opportunities, he's 37 and coming off an injury, so it remains to be seen how his arm holds up the rest of the way.