Rangers, etc.

Hello again, universe. Sorry to not update you with anything for a while, but hey I'm back. And I suuuuuurrree love me some beisbol. That's Spanish for "baseball" for all of you non-Spaniards out there.
I'd like to spend this post talking about the Rangers in the spirit of beisbol season. The Rangers have opened their season with some signs of life and some signs of the same old Rangers who can't play defense, can't pitch, can't get outs, and therefore can't limit the pitches in their bullpen. Millwood has looked realll fuckin good after two starts, and the bullpen has shown a few sparks in Jason Jennings and Frankie Francisco. But luck hasn't necessarily been on our side the past few games. Millwood pitched 7 shutout innings Sunday, allowing only 4 hits (all singles), then CJ Wilson comes in to relieve him and gives up 6 runs, and we lose 6-4. Then the next night, Padilla gives up 7 earned, we climb back and the bullpen is solid, but we fall short 10-9. No one seems to be able to get everything together on the same night. But look, I'm a realist, and I know this bullpen has in general played like diarrhea and half the starters should not even have a shot to be on a major league mound, and I also know it is only April and is pretty ridiculous to evaluate a major league baseball team 7 games into their season. But saying that, I am still very optimistic about some soon-to come additions to this club.

Introducing Neftali Feliz and Derek Holland, two of baseball's most prized minor league arms. Feliz, a mere throw-in in the Teixeira deal, has evolved into, some say, the 2nd best pitching prospect in baseball only to David Price. MLB.com ranked him as the 9th best prospect in all of baseball and Baseball America ranked him number 10. He has posted an ERA that sits around 2.6 in the minors and has thrown a stifling 11.3 strikeouts per 9 in his minor league career. The guy is only 20, and he is said to be called up as early as this year.
Derek Holland is another prospect that came out of nowhere. Drafted in the 25th round of the 2006 draft, Holland has pitched his way into the list of top pitching prospects in America also. He is the #31 overall prospect on Baseball America's list and #49 on MLB.com's. Holland probably has the best chance of pushing his way into the Rangers rotation this year.

I have high expectations for this team not this year (though I think we make a late season push for a playoff spot), but in 2010 when this boatload of young pitchers (Feliz and Holland are only two of a huge crop of good young arms in our system) comes through and starts contributing. I could see some of these prospects faltering, but odds are that at least 2 or 3 really good pitchers come out of this bunch - Feliz looks like a virtual lock to be a solid ace in our rotation. And as I have been saying for years, if the Rangers can put together an at least average rotation and solid bullpen, we can contend. The hitting seems to always be there, and if we have respectable pitching, this team is a very young and talented force to be reckoned with.

I'll just hope Daniels does not decide to trade any more young pitching. Volquez, Danks, Chris Young, Armando Galarraga, and Millwood would not be a shabby starting rotation right now...