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txphile · 07-10-2003, 07:03 PM

Texas Rangers Pitching Breakdown
March 25, 2003
by T.L. Mackey

Starters

Benicio Duenas - the 38 year-old southpaw is one of only two lefties on the entire pitching staff. He was our best starter by far last season, garnering a 13-8 record with a 3.84 ERA in 33 starts. Despite being 9 years older than the next oldest Ranger starter, he was our only pitcher able to go for 200+ innings, ending up with 210.2 IP. His decent K:BB ratio and consistency are in short supply within this year's starting rotation...he is undeniably our #1 guy.

Jacob Reinhardt - a right-handed 29 year-old who has proven to be a reliable starter. He went 8-12 last year with a 4.18 ERA in 31 starts. His 1.23 WHIP was the best of any of our starters, as is reflected by his 102 K's and only 47 BB's yielded. I expect him to earn at least 10 wins this year and would not be surprised if he managed as many as 15.

Pedro Solis - another one of our 29 year-old righties. He too has shown some glimpses of being a solid starter. His 9-14 record and 4.71 ERA from last season, coupled with a 3:1 K/BB ratio, suggest that he could very well put together a breakthrough year. At least that's the hope.

Phillip Labarge - our other leftie...a 27 year-old from Montreal. He accrued a 3-5 record in 10 starts last year, holding down an ERA of 4.98. He doesn't have much zip to his throws and his K/BB ratio is average, but he gets the #4 spot on our rotation primarily because he is a leftie...of which we don't have nearly enough.

David Bechtol - yet another 29 year-old rightie. He actually performed well for us last year...going 9-8 with a 5.75 ERA in 25 starts. His WHIP and OBP were noticeably high, however ~~ 1.59 and .653, respectively. Bechtol is probably a more capable pitcher than Labarge, but I can't ignore those numbers.

Bullpen

Melchor "El Toro" Mesa - Gold. Pure gold. A 27 year-old jewel from Miami, Florida. He had team bests in both ERA (1.79) and WHIP (1.01), going 2-0 with 10 saves in 45.1 IP last year. His fastball is deadly, but his exceptional control makes this merely a 2nd or 3rd option. Oh to have a starter or two like this...

Andres Escalena - perhaps Mesa's equal in talent. This 29 year-old rightie was our closer last year, picking up 40 saves in 61 appearances. His 3.00 ERA and 1.07 WHIP were second only to Mesa's, but he did manage a slightly better OBP of .202. Add in his 71 K's with only 20 BB's surrendered and you have a top notch surgeon on the mound.

Fred McCaa - a 28 year-old rightie who underachieved last year. Despite his lackluster numbers (3-6, 4.22 ERA, 20 K, 22 BB), he has nearly the talent level of Escalena and should be able to pull in some more significant numbers. McCaa must improve his production if our bullpen is to function into September.

Todd Black - a solid 31 year-old rightie who went 3-2 with a 3.44 ERA in 49.2 IP last year. He has a tendency to fall into slumps from time-to-time but has always shown the resiliency needed to dig himself out of those holes. As long as he shows a good work ethic and keeps his production decent, he has a spot on our roster.

Robert Cargile - a dependable 27 year-old rightie who was our #2 reliever last year, earning 19 saves in 55 appearances. He often found himself in pitched battles, ending up with a 7-8 record and 4.30 ERA. As the reliever with the most stamina, he will likely see a good amount of action this season and should fare well provided he gets some run support.

Bruce Ashley - "The Bullpen Elder." At 34 years of age, Ashley is an inconsistent and sometimes explosive rightie. Explosive in the bad sense of the word. He went 33.0 IP last year, going 1-3 with a 5.73 ERA and 1.58 WHIP (rivalling starter Dave Bechtol for team "honors"). Although Ashley is a highly respected stand-up kind of guy, I will be on the lookout for other options for his spot in the bullpen.

07-10-2003, 07:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
txphile Bat Boy Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	Texas Rangers Pitching Breakdown March 25, 2003 by T.L. Mackey *Starters* Benicio Duenas - the 38 year-old southpaw is one of only two lefties on the entire pitching staff. He was our best starter by far last season, garnering a 13-8 record with a 3.84 ERA in 33 starts. Despite being 9 years older than the next oldest Ranger starter, he was our only pitcher able to go for 200+ innings, ending up with 210.2 IP. His decent K:BB ratio and consistency are in short supply within this year's starting rotation...he is undeniably our #1 guy. Jacob Reinhardt - a right-handed 29 year-old who has proven to be a reliable starter. He went 8-12 last year with a 4.18 ERA in 31 starts. His 1.23 WHIP was the best of any of our starters, as is reflected by his 102 K's and only 47 BB's yielded. I expect him to earn at least 10 wins this year and would not be surprised if he managed as many as 15. Pedro Solis - another one of our 29 year-old righties. He too has shown some glimpses of being a solid starter. His 9-14 record and 4.71 ERA from last season, coupled with a 3:1 K/BB ratio, suggest that he could very well put together a breakthrough year. At least that's the hope. Phillip Labarge - our other leftie...a 27 year-old from Montreal. He accrued a 3-5 record in 10 starts last year, holding down an ERA of 4.98. He doesn't have much zip to his throws and his K/BB ratio is average, but he gets the #4 spot on our rotation primarily because he is a leftie...of which we don't have nearly enough. David Bechtol - yet another 29 year-old rightie. He actually performed well for us last year...going 9-8 with a 5.75 ERA in 25 starts. His WHIP and OBP were noticeably high, however ~~ 1.59 and .653, respectively. Bechtol is probably a more capable pitcher than Labarge, but I can't ignore those numbers. *Bullpen* Melchor "El Toro" Mesa - Gold. Pure gold. A 27 year-old jewel from Miami, Florida. He had team bests in both ERA (1.79) and WHIP (1.01), going 2-0 with 10 saves in 45.1 IP last year. His fastball is deadly, but his exceptional control makes this merely a 2nd or 3rd option. Oh to have a starter or two like this... Andres Escalena - perhaps Mesa's equal in talent. This 29 year-old rightie was our closer last year, picking up 40 saves in 61 appearances. His 3.00 ERA and 1.07 WHIP were second only to Mesa's, but he did manage a slightly better OBP of .202. Add in his 71 K's with only 20 BB's surrendered and you have a top notch surgeon on the mound. Fred McCaa - a 28 year-old rightie who underachieved last year. Despite his lackluster numbers (3-6, 4.22 ERA, 20 K, 22 BB), he has nearly the talent level of Escalena and should be able to pull in some more significant numbers. McCaa must improve his production if our bullpen is to function into September. Todd Black - a solid 31 year-old rightie who went 3-2 with a 3.44 ERA in 49.2 IP last year. He has a tendency to fall into slumps from time-to-time but has always shown the resiliency needed to dig himself out of those holes. As long as he shows a good work ethic and keeps his production decent, he has a spot on our roster. Robert Cargile - a dependable 27 year-old rightie who was our #2 reliever last year, earning 19 saves in 55 appearances. He often found himself in pitched battles, ending up with a 7-8 record and 4.30 ERA. As the reliever with the most stamina, he will likely see a good amount of action this season and should fare well provided he gets some run support. Bruce Ashley - "The Bullpen Elder." At 34 years of age, Ashley is an inconsistent and sometimes explosive rightie. Explosive in the bad sense of the word. He went 33.0 IP last year, going 1-3 with a 5.73 ERA and 1.58 WHIP (rivalling starter Dave Bechtol for team "honors"). Although Ashley is a highly respected stand-up kind of guy, I will be on the lookout for other options for his spot in the bullpen.