This is the 8th of 30 blogs that will provide an analysis for every major league baseball team's projected OV/UN regular season wins total for the 2008 season. I will have a recommendation for each club with two levels of ranking (1-star and 2-stars).


Texas Rangers-OV/UN Regular Season Wins Total: 76.5 (various sportsbooks)

Last 3 seasons wins totals

2007-75
2006-80
2005-79


3-year average: 78  

Lineup-The Rangers should be able to mount a solid offensive attack in 2008. Here's a look:

C-Jarrod Saltalamacchia(22): The key part of last year's trade of Mark Teixeira to the Braves. He should also see some time at first base as well this season.

1B-Ben Broussard(31): After hitting 40 homers in 2005-06, Broussard was unable to garner much playing time in Seattle last year. He will platoon with some right-handed bats at first base in his debut season with the Rangers.   

2B-Ian Kinsler(25): Kinsler pounded 9 homers last April but could manage only 11 more home runs over the rest of the season. The Rangers are hoping for some more consistency from him in his third season in 2008.

SS-Michael Young(31): Young has quietly become one of the best hitting shortstops in baseball over the last few seasons. He has hit over .310 in each of the last four seasons and has driven in more than 90 runs in each year during this stretch.

3B-Hank Blalock(27): A key to the Rangers fortunes in 2008. He played in only 58 games due to injuries last year but he did post a career high .901 OPS.

LF-Marlon Byrd(30): A pleasant surprise for Texas in 2007. He did little with the bat in earlier stints with Philadelphia and Washington but Byrd hit .307 with the Rangers and drove in 70 runs in just 109 games.  

CF-Josh Hamilton(26): The former number one overall draft pick in the MLB draft finally overcame his off the field problems to display his vast potential at the major league level in 2007. He slugged 19 homers in just 90 games for the Reds but there are questions regarding his durability and ability to hit left-handed pitching.

RF-Milton Bradley(30): The controversial outfielder proclaims that he will be ready for opening day after suffering a knee injury last September while with the Padres. Since bursting onto the scene with a .321 average in 2003, Bradley hasn't been able to stay on the field. He has played in less than 100 games in each of the last three seasons.

DH-Frank Catalanotto(34): Catalanatto has been a solid line drive hitter in his career with a .294 average. He will platoon at DH with some right-handed hitters.

Overall lineup outlook(3 right-handed batters, 4 left-handed batters, and 2 switch-hitters): The Rangers were 5th in the AL in runs scored in 2007. This lineup should score its' share of runs again in 2008. Hamilton could have a huge year based on what he showcased last year in Cincinnati. A healthy Blalock should also boost the offense in 2008. Keeping Bradley healthy will be another important factor for the offense this season. All of the everyday field players for Texas are under the age of 32. So, these players are at ages where they can deliver top flight years. Barring any major injuries, the Rangers will rank in the upper half of AL offenses in 2008.        

Starting rotation-The Rangers have plenty of question marks surrounding their 2008 rotation.

RHP-Vicente Padilla(30): Padilla had a rough beginning to the 2007 season that included a DL stint. He finished with a 5.76 E.R.A. for the year but he came on to post a 3.86 E.R.A. in his eight starts after the all-star break. A solid year from Padilla in 2008 is a must if the Rangers are to make a run at the .500 mark.

RHP-Kevin Millwood(33): Millwood's 2007 season was very similar to Padilla's. He posted a career worst 5.16 E.R.A. and also spent some time on the DL. He's been a solid starter for over a decade but Millwood is somewhat of a question mark at this point of his career. He has had an E.R.A. of over 4 1/2 in three of the last four years.  

RHP-Jason Jennings(29): The Dallas native is coming home while looking for a rebound year with the Rangers. Coming off of a 3.78 E.R.A. in his final season with the Rockies in 2006, Jennings was a bust in his only campaign with the Astros in 2007 with an E.R.A. of over six. He was able to adjust to the unique aspects of pitching at Coors Field early in his career and will now have to try to succeed in one of the top hitting ballparks in the majors in Arlington.
   
RHP-Brandon McCarthy(24): McCarthy, after a slow start, came on for the Rangers after the all-star break. He posted a 3.67 E.R.A. in his final nine starts of the 2007 season.   

LHP-Kason Gabbard(26): After pitching well to begin the season with the Red Sox, the lefty didn't fare as well after coming to the Rangers as part of the Eric Gagne deal. He posted a 5.58 E.R.A. in his eight starts for Texas and issued 23 walks in 40.1 innings pitched.

Overall rotation outlook: All five of the projected Texas starters had E.R.A.'s of over 4 1/2 last season. The numbers are a little skewed due to the home ballpark but there are still plenty of concerns heading into this season. The three veterans have decent track records but their recent history doesn't create overwhelming optimism for the 2008 season. McCarthy and Gabbard have some potential but neither is viewed as a dominant young arm. The rotation should be a little better in 2008 but this starting staff will still be one of the worst in the AL this season.      

Bullpen-With some questions in the rotation, the Texas pen figures to get plenty of work this season.

Setup relief-Former Japanese league pitcher RHP Kazuo Fukumori(31) will be counted on as a key late inning hurler for the Rangers this year. RHP Joaquin Benoit(30) stepped up for a career best 2.85 E.R.A. in 2007. Veteran LHP Eddie Guardado(37) will try to rebound in 2008 after missing most of last season with the Reds due to injury.    

Closer-LHP C.J. Wilson(27): He stepped in after the Gagne deal to save 12 of 14 chances for the Rangers last year.   

Overall pitching outlook: The Rangers were 12th in the AL in runs allowed in 2007. Texas will likely be near the bottom of the rankings again this year. The rotation and bullpen are both very average. Pitching in the summer heat in Texas makes it difficult for the staff to maintain any confidence in the dog days of the season. None of the five projected starters were developed by the team's farm system which is an indication of a bigger problem with this organization. Texas will be involved in a lot of high scoring games this season as the pitching lags behind the club's offense.      

Final recap and recommendation: Since closing out the 90's with three playoff appearances in a four-year span, Texas has managed to produce only one winning season in this decade. In his first year as manager last season, Ron Washington did build a little momentum heading into this year. After a 23-42 start, the Rangers were a respectable 52-45 over their last 97 games. However, the overall results were still mediocre for this team in 2007. There have been no real improvements to the pitching staff as the club's biggest weakness was not addressed. The offense could be very explosive but the arms are still critical in building a winning formula. With Hamilton and Bradley on board, the Rangers will be an entertaining club to watch in 2008. Unfortunately, for Rangers fans, the team will still have more L's than W's over a long 162-game schedule as the Rangers suspect pitching will ultimately be exposed.  

UNDER 76.5 WINS  *  1-Star

About DC Sports:

David Jones, of DC Sports, has been one of the top four most profitable team handicappers since becoming a Sportsmemo handicapper in December of 2006 (12/06-2/08). Here's more info on the four sports that he handicaps for Sportsmemo:

NFL-DC Sports has been profitable in the NFL since coming on board in December of 2006. He has hit on 63% of his 20* NFL releases with a 10-6 mark. David was especially strong with his NFL O/U reports over the course of the 2007 season with a 34-20 (63%) record.

College Football-DC Sports is 9-4 (69%) with his 20* NCAAF selections for a combined 20* football record of 19-10 (66%). He went on a stellar 47-21 (69%) NCAAF run to close the 2006 regular season in his releases that were posted in the Sportsmemo forum.

NBA-DC Sports was profitable in the NBA over the entire 2006-07 season..

MLB-DC Sports turned in a profitable 2007 MLB season. He posted a 19-11 (63%) record with his recommendations for all 30 teams in his 2007 regular season over/under wins blogs before the start of the season.