The Texas Rangers will enter the 2011 season with hopes of duplicating the success they had in 2010. The Rangers qualified for the playoffs after winning the American League West with a 90-72 record. After the regular season they had an amazing run through the playoffs and managed to become the representatives for the American League in the World Series and truly had a dream season.
MLB Picks have the Rangers at +2000 odds to win the World Series this season.
While you might think that they should be on track for having another great season, there is reason to believe that they will struggle to duplicate last year’s success. A main contributor to that reason is Cliff Lee. Lee had a fantastic season and carried the Rangers through the postseason. Without Lee the Rangers may struggle with their starting pitching.
The Rangers also lost one of their best hitters in Vladimir Guerrero. Guerrero was a force in the middle of the lineup and drove in more runs than anyone on the team. They did manage to replace him with Adrian Beltre. While Beltre has been inconsistent over his career, he has shown flashes of potential that are unmatched by all but a few players in Major League Baseball.
The Rangers may be able to overcome the loss of Cliff Lee if Brandon Webb is able to return to form. He was formerly the ace of the Arizona Diamondbacks, but has been forgotten following an injury.
The Rangers have all of the talent in the world on offense, but it may not be enough if they can’t stop their opponents from scoring runs.
The San Diego Padres managed a solid season in 2010 and are looking to build upon their success in 2011. The Padres managed a 90-72 record, backed by a pitching staff that outperformed every other pitching staff in Major League Baseball.