MLB: Key to success for all 30 teams heading into 2015
By Robby Sabo
Texas Rangers
- 2014 Finish: 67-95, 5th in AL West
- 2015 Key to Success: Creating a new identity
Much like the Minnesota Twins, the Texas Rangers 2015 potential could be described as average at best.
Unlike the Twins, however, they do possess some top-end talent that could lead to some potential surprises.
Although, the important question remains: who are the 2015 Rangers?
For example, the Royals thrive on pitching, defense and speed. Baltimore slugs their way to victories. Good teams always develop and need their own unique identity.
Texas will need to identify who they are early on in order to discover success in 2015.
What they’ll need to navigate through in 2015 is figuring out what kind of team they are. Hiring Jeff Banister as manager last October will also factor in the identity feeling out stage.
Usually a slugging team in that ballpark, the Rangers only hit 111 HR which placed them fourth to last in the majors. They finished eighth in hitting at a .256 clip.
Pitching did them no favors with a team ERA of 4.49 that placed them 28th overall in baseball.
There’s no hiding the fact they were a downright awful team.
Price Fielder coming back should help the power. Elsewhere, it’s very difficult to figure out what kind of team they’ll field on a daily basis when looking at paper.
Shin-Soo Choo signed with the club this offseason after a one year stay in Cincinnati, and Adrian Beltre is incredibly still showing decent power (19 HR last year) at the age of 35.
Any potential surprise by the team took a shot to the solar-plexus after ace Yu Darvish went down with dreaded Tommy John.
Youngsters such as Rougned Odor, Leonys Martin, and yes, Jurickson Profar who’s still lingering between prospect/bust status, will probably be the guys who mold the team’s identity in 2015.
Not until they figure out who they are can they move forward in the right direction.
Next: Houston Astros