Anything short of a miracle, the Rangers won't be making the playoffs; however, they have pieces of the puzzle they're eager to put together. Ron Washington's club looks to finish second in the AL West, something they haven't done since 1999, their last playoff appearance. To boot, they seek to finish the season above .500. The Rangers are 7-3 in their last ten games and it looks like they will accomplish the task.
With two weeks to go in the regular season, and the roster sizes expanded, Ron Washington is getting a good look at next season's prospects. Case in point, Nelson Cruz is playing well, batting .311 and hitting four homeruns in only two weeks of play.
Taylor Teagarden, coming back to the Rangers after winning a bronze medal in the Olympics, is making a case for a roster spot next season. He could be used as trade bait to obtain a pitcher, but either way, Teagarden is playing for a nice payday be it with the Rangers or not. He was higly coveted in this season's trade deadline, but no move was made. That could change in the offseason.
Matt Harrison is playing well of late, and showed promise to be a potential starter next season. He shut out the Oakland A's in his last start going the distance. He filled in for an injured Eric Hurley who took over an injured Jason Jennings. Harrison went through growing pains early in the season, but has settled down. His ERA has gone down over his previous four games. He now has eight wins on the season. Let's not forget about Joaquin Arias, who filled in for an injured Ian Kinsler.
Arias is batting .250; however, he has shown inconsistencies at the plate. His defensive skills is where he excels. The Rangers will have to find a player that can play behind Kinsler should something happen to him next season, and it looks like Arias is that man for his defensive abilities.
The Rangers have not made the playoffs since 1999, and with new management and players, they seem to be in position to have a special season next season. Their offense should be fine, but defense and pitching will be their main concerns. The Rangers, barring a Mets-size collapse they should finish the season over .500, 12 games better than last season.
Slow and steady wins the race. You don't put together a puzzle that quickly, you have to take your time and exercise patience. The Rangers are slowly finding those pieces in their farm season and the new style of play that has been enfored by Ron Washington.
So the question is, when is the puzzle going to be finished?
Keywords: hitting, Minor Leagues, pitching, Ron Washington, Texas Rangers
