It's funny to think that a month into the 2015 season, the Texas Rangers were 8-16. Four months later, they enter their final series of the season at 86-72, needing to win one of four games against the Angels to clinch at least a wild card spot. More importantly, a split would clinch the AL West.
Remember the "sky is falling" headlines early in the season? Four-fifths of the rotation was on the shelf. The Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo albatross contracts were two of the worst in baseball. Texas was going to sell at the trade deadline and plan for the future.
Oh how things have changed.
Texas launched back into relevancy with a 19-11 May, winning 10 of its final 12 games. In a year where teams with semi-mediocre records found themselves in wild-card contention, Jon Daniels made one of his boldest and most brilliant moves in his 10 years as general manager. On July 31, the Rangers traded for Philadelphia ace Cole Hamels.
Sure, Texas weakened the farm to acquire the ace, but it didn't sell the farm (its two top prospects, Joey Gallo and Nomar Mazara, remain with the organization). Since arriving in Texas, Hamels has gone 6-1 with a 3.86 ERA, to go along with a 88/21 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Furthermore, Hamels is under team control for three years after this season, which is what made the move so spectacular. It was a trade for this year to get the Rangers back into contention. It was also a trade for future years, pairing Hamels with Yu Darvish (out for 2015, Tommy John surgery) to form the most elite 1-2 pitching punch in the American League.
Rarely can you look back on a deal and say with a straight face that it was for the present and the future. David Price (Toronto) and Johnny Cueto (Kansas City) required top prospects for their services at this year's deadline. They're also potential rental players with expiring contracts in 2015. The Rangers kept their top two prospects, will have Hamels through 2018 and are contending for the AL West title this year. I'd say JD has earned his paycheck.
This is why I've not wavered in my support of Daniels, who deserves more credit for what this team is doing right now and what this team is set up to do in the future. I suppose it's part of the gig, but if he was to blame for the 8-16 start, he sure as hell deserves credit for the 78-56 finish.
At the time of the Hamels trade, the Rangers were in third place in the AL West, eight games behind Houston and four games behind the wild card, with seven teams in front of them.
Different story today. Texas enters the final weekend of the season 2.5 games ahead of Houston and three ahead of Anaheim.
Lot of emotion heading into this weekend. For one, knocking off the Angels would be gratifying in and of itself. Then there's the bitter recent memory of 2012, when Texas led Oakland by two games with four to play. The Rangers lost three of four, lost the division on the last day of the season and bowed out in the one-game wild card playoff.
Frankly, it's time for something different in 2015.
This team has a 2011 feel to it. Sure, a resurgent Mike Napoli (another under-the-radar move by Daniels, who acquired the former Ranger from Boston for practically nothing) may have something to do with it. If leadoff speedster Delino DeShields gets on base, the 2-3-4 combo of Choo, Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre is lethal. Before trading for Napoli, Texas struggled against left-handed pitching, but that's quickly changed, as Napoli hits fifth against lefties and continues to mash against lefties.
Mitch Moreland has had his best season as a pro, with a .281 average, 23 homers, 84 driven in and superb defense. Rougned Odor was hitting .144 when he was sent down on May 8. He's now hitting .265.
After a sluggish start, Choo is the hottest player on the planet, hitting an other-worldly .404 in September, with a .515 on-base percentage and a 1.140 OPS. Fielder (.309-23-96) is Fielder and Beltre (.283-17-74 while missing most of June) is Beltre.
The starting rotation has experienced a massive overhaul and is a big reason we're sitting in this enviable position. Nick Martinez, Ross Detwiler and Wandy Rodriguez have been replaced with Hamels, Derek Holland (return from injury) and Martin Perez (return from injury). Upgrade much? Yovani Gallardo and Colby Lewis have each made 30+ starts.
The bullpen struggled early, but produced the lowest ERA in the majors in September. Shawn Tolleson has been lights out as closer, while Sam Dyson, Keone Kela and Jake Diekman have been solid in late relief.
It's incredible to think how far this team has come under first-year manager Jeff Banister. When you think about some of Detwiler's abominable outings early in the year, it almost seems like two different seasons. That puts into perspective the marathon mentality required for such a turnaround.
As a sports fan, there's nothing sweeter than the Rangers in the postseason. It's a long season, man. After work, I spend several nights per week watching Texas on mlb.tv. On some weekends, I've taken trips to Arlington to catch games in person. I traveled to Anaheim this year to follow them on the road. Sure, it's a fun and relaxing time commitment, but it's a significant time commitment.
Now's the time to capture our third AL West crown in six years. Now's the time to return to prominence. Let's turn some heads, win the West and make a run in the playoffs. Finish Anaheim!
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