Rangers 2020 Season Preview
Ready to check out our 2020 Texas Rangers predictions? Texas brought in a big-name pitcher to prop up the starting rotation in the offseason. Will it be enough to allow Texas to keep up with the contenders at the top of the American League West?
MLB Rangers Predictions & Handicapping Insight
Texas was 10 games above .500 close to the halfway point in Chris Woodward’s first season as the club’s manager.
But injuries and an overall lack of pitching hurt the Rangers down the stretch and they fizzled out in the end. They won’t need to play 162 games in 2020, however.
2020 MLB Team Previews – Texas Rangers
- Texas Rangers 2020 American League West Odds: +1600
- Texas Rangers 2020 American League Odds: +5000
- Texas Rangers 2020 World Series Odds: +10000
Key Additions:
- Corey Kluber
- Kyle Gibson
- Jordan Lyles
- Todd Frazier
Corey Kluber missed most all of the 2019 season after fracturing his pitching arm and then hurting his side in his rehab.
He’s healthy now and Texas believes he still has several good seasons in him. The two-time Cy Young award winner brings a pedigree the Rangers haven’t had in a starting pitcher since Cliff Lee.
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Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles aren’t exciting names but they do add some length to Texas’ rotation, which is badly needed.
Todd Frazier finished with a 106 OPS+ in 2019 after briefly dipping below the league-average mark in 2018. He can help replace Hunter Pence as a veteran right-handed hitter who still has some pop in his bad, however much he may be slowing down, physically.
Key Losses:
- Hunter Pence
- Nomar Mazara
- Delino DeShields Jr
Pence made the All-Star team in a feel-good story last year before getting hurt in the second half. He’s back in San Francisco, where he won a couple of World Series.
Nomar Mazara never quite busted out with the Rangers but if he reaches his potential now that he’s moved on to Chicago, the White Sox become serious World Series contenders.
Delino DeShields Jr was part of the deal to land Kluber. The Rangers will miss his range in the outfield but he was never much with the bat.
2020 Texas Rangers Predictions: Projected Lineup:
- Shin-Soo Choo DH
- Elvis Andrus SS
- Joey Gallo OF
- Danny Santana OF
- Todd Frazier 3B
- Rougned Odor 2B
- Nick Solak OF
- Robinson Chirinos C
- Ronald Guzman 1B
With the exception of Andrus, every member of this starting lineup is a threat to finish a full season with 20 home runs.
The baseball world wants to see what Joey Gallo does in a healthy season after he ascended to superstar level before hurting his side in 2019.
Nick Solak is projected to start in a corner outfield spot. He came up to play in about 30 games for Texas last season after posting big numbers in the minor leagues.
Ronald Guzman was often lumped together with Mazara as a young left-handed hitter with serious raw power, though Guzman is behind Mazara, in terms of development. He has potential to be much more than a number nine hitter, if he manages to cut down on his strikeouts.
2020 Texas Rangers Predictions: Projected Rotation:
- Corey Kluber
- Mike Minor
- Lance Lynn
- Kyle Gibson
- Jordan Lyles
Mike Minor will be the only left-handed starter in the initial starting rotation. He was sensational in 2019, making his first All-Star team and finishing eighth in the Cy Young voting.
Texas has the pieces in place to have a halfway decent rotation but these five have to stay healthy. If not, the Rangers are back searching for spot starters like they were last season all second half.
2020 Texas Rangers Predictions: Projected Closer:
- Jose Leclerc
The Rangers gave the 26-year-old Dominican a new 4-year contract in the offseason and he’s slotted to be the closer, though there’s certainly a possibility a number of different relievers pitch in at the end of games.
After posting a 0.85 WHIP in 2018, Leclerc returned to what had been his usual level in 2019 with a WHIP over 1.32. He has struck out more than 13 batters per nine innings in each of the last two seasons (a total of more than 125 innings).
2020 Texas Rangers Predictions: 77 wins and 4th in the AL West (Bet Now at any of our reviewed MLB Sportsbooks!)
Of course, the win total is based on 162 games. So I see Texas as a team that will lose just more than it will win.
Texas has the names to compete but the AL West is tough and I’m just not convinced everyone will stay healthy, between the aging starting rotation and a lineup that has plenty of unproven commodities or veterans with injury concerns.
What do you think of our 2020 Texas Rangers predictions? Comments are welcome below.
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