The Hot Corner
The wait is finally over.
Major League Baseball is starting its 2020 season Thursday, with Opening Day games being held all over the country.
The shortened 60-game season will feel like a playoff race and both the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers have to feel good about their chances.
Texas Rangers
A solid starting rotation and one of the more underrated lineups in baseball have the Rangers looking to play the darkhorse role in 2020.
While 34-year old Corey Kluber may not have the arm he once did, he is an ace when healthy and if 2019 surprise stories Mike Minor and Lance Lynn can maintain their 2019 form, the Rangers will have the starting pitching to make a run at the playoffs.
The bullpen is an area of concern however. While spotty, 26-year old Jose Leclerc has velocity and electricity in his right arm, but the rest of the bullpen is manned with relative unknowns.
Jesse Chavez can serve as a back-of-the-rotation starter and a long reliever. Rafael Montero has a career 5.00 Earned Run Average (ERA), but he had a career year for the Rangers in 2019, recording 34 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched and finished with a career-low 2.48 ERA.
Offensively, the Rangers boast a boom-or-bust lineup with several powerful hitters who can rack up both RBIs and strikeouts.
Joey Gallo leads the way following his 22-home run 2019 campaign. Willie Calhoun showed flashes of potential and figures to be a key part of the offense. Journeymen Todd Frazier and Robinson Chirinos enter the fray as well, adding more pop to the lineup.
If the Rangers can pitch as well as they did in 2019 and the offense can play consistently, the Rangers could add some post-season banners to their new stadium in 2020.
Houston Astros
Justin Verlander and his ageless right arm are back to spearhead the Astros pitching staff. While the loss of Gerritt Cole will hurt, a full season of Zack Greinke and the return of Lance McCullers Jr. should help alleviate that loss.
Pitching coach Brent Strom has some high praise for lefty Framber Valdez and the Astros could see the debut of top prospect Forrest Whitley in 2020, leaving fans with optimism for the back-end of the rotation.
The trio of Brad Peacock, Ryan Pressly and Roberto Osuna are back to close down games for the Astros’ bullpen, but the rest of the bullpen is full of question marks.
Chris Devenski is still trying to return to his 2016 form and the rest of the bullpen is full of unproven arms. Bryan Abreu can be electric and the Astros love Austin Pruitt’s spin rate, but they will be relying on players who have not seen the rigors of a full MLB season.
Many familiar faces will anchor the Astros lineup.
Third baseman Alex Bregman put up MVP numbers in 2019 and he is back to lead the way in 2020. While the Astros will be without young slugger Yordan Alvarez to start the year, former top prospect Kyle Tucker has looked solid in pre-season scrimmages and will look to lighten that load. Outfielders George Springer, Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick and first basemen Yuli Gurriel are all playing out the final year of their current contracts and that will be a storyline to follow in the future.
There is little argument that the Astros are one of the top teams in the league, but anything can happen in the shortened season.
As long as the pitching staff stays healthy and the Astros’ bats continue to do what they’ve done in the past, Houston fans can expect success.
Reed Graff is the sports editor for The Snyder News. Comments on this article can be made to sports@thesnydernews.com