Texas Rangers: Top 5 Wins Above Replacement Scores Among Pitchers Since 2000

Texas fans have been very lucky for the past couple of seasons—they've witnessed good pitching at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Until Mike Maddux and Nolan Ryan unleashed their influence on the pitching staff, this squad was famous for winning a lot of games thanks to a lot of run support. Never forget that Rick Helling won 20 games in 1998 with an ERA of 4.41.

But the tides have changed as of late and that has made a minor impact on this list. Most players benefited from many decent seasons with some exceptions as you will soon see. Players like Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison, and Neftali Feliz may one day make this list and that should excite Ranger fans.

We will be ranking these players on their wins against replacement value (WAR) since wins and losses do not correlate to how productive a player is on the mound. Read on for more.

5. Colby Lewis

WAR: 8.7

Colby Lewis was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in 1999 but couldn't cut it in the Majors. His earned run average ballooned all the way to 7 and bounced around from Detroit to Oakland before taking his talents to Japan.

It was overseas where he got better command of his pitches and made it a goal to return to the states.

He did return to the team that originally drafted him and we saw a different Colby Lewis. Every single category from strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) to fielding independent earned run average all saw an improvement.

His best individual season with the Rangers was 2010 (4.6 wins above replacement) when he posted a 12-12 record but had career lows in ERA and fielding independent ERA. His K/9 went from 5 to roughly 9.

4. Francisco Cordero

WAR: 9.7

Francisco Cordero was the Rangers closer in an era that really never required his services. The team floated around last place for the years he was a member of the club; nevertheless, he still had an impact on the team.

His best individual season with the Rangers was 2004 (3.1 wins above replacement) when he made 49 saves in 71 innings of work while operating with an ERA of 2.13. He also made the All-Star squad that season.

3. Kevin Millwood

WAR: 13.8

When the Rangers wanted to acquire an ace after the 2005 season where they almost made the playoffs, they looked to Kevin Millwood, who came off a 9-11 season with an ERA of two and a no hitter.

Sadly, Millwood was more of an innings-eater than he was an ace. He had two seasons with an ERA above 5, one above 4, and one above 3 in his final year.

His best individual season with the Rangers was 2006 (5.1 wins above replacement) when he posted a 16-12 record with a 4.52 ERA. His fielding independent ERA was 3.87 so he did not benefit from a great defense during that season.

2. CJ Wilson

WAR: 13.8

Love him or hate him, CJ had a huge impact on the Rangers. He was drafted in 2001 as a starter but was so awful that he moved to the bullpen. Going from long reliever to closer, he experienced even more heartbreak which led him to a make or break season as a starter.

Good choice, CJ. He went 15-8 that season and followed it with a 16-7 season. His ERA hovered around the upper twos and that raised his price tag during the 2011 offseason.

His best individual season with the Rangers was 2011 (5.9 wins above replacement) when he went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA. He was also selected to the All-Star team. It should be mentioned that his fielding independent ERA maxed out at 6.31 during last offseason and his  career record during October is 1-5.

1. Kenny Rogers

WAR: 17.9

Kenny Rogers made his debut in 1989 and bounced around with 6 different teams including 3 different stints with Texas. He won a World Series ring in 1996 and pitched a perfect game in 1994. He was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2011.

His best individual season with the Rangers was 2000 (5.0 wins above replacement) when he went 13-13 with a gross 4.55 ERA. Even with his horrendous numbers that season, he was still good enough despite the lack of talent on the rest of the team. Rogers is the prime example in the history of the Texas franchise of a pitcher who highly benefited from a great offense.