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Rangers Statistical Month in Review - MayJune 4th, 2008
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My 3-year old can count to 28 in Spanish……I can only count to 10. Nevertheless, it’s time to crank out the Texas Instruments Calculator and break down a superb May for the Texas Rangers.
The Record: 19-10 in May, 2nd best in Major Leagues to Toronto. As of today, overall record is 30-30, sitting 6 games out of 1st, 3rd place in the AL West. And while some may think it silly to mention so early in the season, the Rangers sit 5 1/2 out of the Wildcard leading Boston Red Sox. (It is NEVER too early to “scoreboard watch”)
The Offense: I consider the composite value for offense to be OPS (On Base Pct + Slugging Pct). The Rangers were #1 in OPS in May among the 30 major league teams. NUMBER ONE. Did it translate into Runs Scored? YES. Texas was 2nd only to the Phillies in runs scored….and #1 in the American League. In one month, the Rangers hitting with Runners in Scoring Position has improved from 26th to 4th. This ranks as the biggest turnaround since Kobe Bryant went from “Trade Me” to “MVP” in less than a year. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the Rangers offense in May was led by Josh Hamilton, with 29 RBI in 29 games. You know what they call that?…….American League Player of the Month. Honorable mention goes to Milton Bradley who actually led the team in OPS for the month. Also, keep in mind that this is a team game….and people have to be on base for Hamilton to get RBIs……Ian Kinsler fit the bill there, scoring 27 times in May, tops in the American League.
STAT OF THE MONTH: Ian Kinsler led the AL with 27 runs scored in May…..tied for 2nd in the AL in Runs Scored were Josh Hamilton and Michael Young with 22 each. That’s right, the Rangers had the Top 3 scorers in the American League for the month of May. I dare you to find that happen for another team anywhere, anytime.
The Defense: 26th of 30 teams in Defensive Efficiency this season. They were 30th through April, so small improvement. The Rangers still rank 3rd in errors, led by Kinsler with 9. Still an area that needs major improvement.
The Pitching Staff: The Rangers ranked 11th in ERA for all the Majors in May. In April, they were 30th…..so major improvement! Season to date, the Rangers Starting Rotation is 21st in ERA….problem is that the Bullpen is DEAD LAST. The Rangers pitching stars have been Padilla and Ponson….with 7 and 4 wins respectively and both with sub 4.00 ERAs on the season. Keep in mind they did NOT have Kevin Millwood, but they will for the month of June. Watch for Millwood to be your pitching MVP for next month.
Summary: Hard to complain about a 19-10 record for May and a top-ranked offense led by Triple Crown Candidate Josh Hamilton (no, not Big Brown)……but leave it to me to always find the Spam at Ruth’s Criss steakhouse. Fact is, the Offense is completely carrying the Defense and Pitching. It’s a delicate baseball balance when you do it that way…..and generally an unhealthy one. Can the Rangers stay at this blistering offensive pace? Will Millwood’s return allow Texas to rely less on the Gasoline Goofs in the bullpen? A combination of the two will have the Rangers closing in on a real pennant race…..hide and watch!
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