Texas Rangers' Hitting Nothing New in the American League

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington just feels like a different park. It could be the new ribbon boards that stretch from foul pole to foul pole. It could be the electronic scoreboard that replaced the manual one on the left field wall. And it could be the red jerseys the team has intelligently decided to bring back.

Although the park feels a bit different, the Texas Rangers you’re used to seeing haven’t changed at the plate. They lead the AL with a .494 Slugging Percentage and a .829 OPS (On-Base Percentage plus Slugging).

Rudy Jaramillo is the best hitting coach in baseball, as evidenced by his yearly miracles. You’re welcome, Andruw Jones. Although your Texas Rangers have ripped the ball, the real story this season has been the defense.

Elvis Andrus has quelled any worries about his ability to hang with the big boys, and he is still 20 years old. Andrus is a fixture on the highlight reel so far this season and has been more than competent at the plate.

His peaceful demeanor and poise at shortstop have been bolstered by the steady hand of Omar Vizquel. Thank you, Jon Daniels. Wow. I never thought I would say that.

Michael Young’s move, nudge, demotion, whatever you want to call it, to third base has been a success. Young needed some live games to adjust and he has done just that. He has adjusted to the role of being a corner infielder and his power production reflects the role he has embraced.

Young has tallied seven home runs in 36 games this season compared to only 12 in 155 games in 2008.

Speaking of home runs, let’s not forget Ian Kinsler. The Rangers’ best hitter this season has 11 homeruns and a .975 OPS. Not bad for your leadoff man. The Tucson, Ariz. Native has bounced back from the season-ending hernia he suffered last August.

Kinsler’s fortuitous position in the Rangers’ lineup does give him a greater chance to enhance his stats, but the pitchers he faces know they have to come after him so he is not on base for the likes of Young, Hamilton and Blalock.

So, what? We all know the Texas Rangers can hit. They’ve scored runs at an alarming rate for the past few seasons. 2009 is different for these Rangers because what they’ve sought for so many years, pitching, has finally been found in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers sit atop the American League West with a 23-15 record, second best in the AL.

Come back tomorrow for a complete breakdown of the change in the Texas Rangers’ pitching.