2 Texas Rangers

ENEMY LINES

A rival scout sizes up the Rangers

This team is better than it was last year. They've always lacked that dominant No. 1 starter. With Yu Darvish, they got a real ace. Most guys that big and physical are throwers. He's a pitcher with an assortment of pitches. The only thing you wonder about is what he's got upstairs.... The circus around Darvish has taken the attention away from their young pitchers, and it's a good thing. They have one of the top three systems in baseball, with pitching as their strength, and Martin Perez is the closest to arriving. He's in the mid-90s with his fastball and has a good changeup and slider, and lots of confidence. He's going to be a difference maker this year.... Neftali Feliz's move to the rotation is the most intriguing story this spring. He was so good in the closer role. The reason they put him in the bullpen was that he couldn't command secondary stuff. He's still struggling with that. I'd bet he ends up back in the bullpen.... Derek Holland still has some work to do. His consistency is still lacking—he'll get out of sync, and it'll take him awhile to get back. Don't put him in that top tier just yet.... The biggest thing for them is whether everyone stays healthy. Josh Hamilton is the key, and he was already nicked up this spring [jammed right heel].... Nelson Cruz has had chronic hamstring problems, and you have to think that will be a problem for him all year.... By not going after Prince Fielder, the Rangers showed a ton of confidence and patience with Mitch Moreland at first base. You wonder when they'll start looking at other options.

THE LINEUP

With 2011 Statistics

MANAGER RON WASHINGTON

6th season with Rangers

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

NEW ACQUISITION (R) ROOKIE *JAPAN LEAGUE STATS