The Texas Rangers are the best team in the American League through 10 games. Of course, that's about to be put to the test when they play the first of two games at Fenway Park on Tuesday and then head to Motown for a four-game set with the Detroit Tigers.
The Rangers have overwhelmed weaker teams such as the Mariners and Twins with consistent starting pitching and timely hitting, including an eighth-inning rally Sunday that allowed them to overcome a 3-1 deficit. It's too early to make wide-sweeping judgments, but it's not an awful thing the Rangers already have a 4 ½-game lead over the big-spending Los Angeles Angels.
You know Albert Pujols will go on a tear at some point, but Angels owner Artie Moreno can't be thrilled with his team's 3-6 start. The biggest problem with falling behind the Rangers early in a season is their uncanny knack for avoiding losing streaks. Teams such as the Pirates are always on the verge of a five-game losing streak, but it feels like a shock when the Rangers drop back-to-back games.
And manager Ron Washington hinted Sunday that he's about to make a move that could make a losing streak even less likely. After watching Yu Darvish and Neftali Feliz falter in the sixth inning on consecutive days, Washington is considering splitting them in the rotation. In this scenario, Darvish would become the No. 3 starter and be followed by reliable left-hander Matt Harrison. It seems odd to tinker with a rotation when your team is 8-2, but the Rangers rarely stand in awe of their success.
"I'm mulling doing it," manager Ron Washington told reporters in Minneapolis. "But I'm also mulling not doing it. It's something we are talking about, but we haven't come to a conclusion."
This move just makes too much sense. You can split the two lefties in the rotation and take a little pressure off Darvish and Feliz at the bottom. Darvish is averaging 18.7 pitches per inning in his two starts. That's one of the highest averages in the American League, although a 42-pitch inning to start your career will do that to a guy.
The Rangers are off to a fast start despite Mike Napoli and Nelson Cruz not doing their usual damage. If you really wanted to nitpick, you could say the Rangers are having to rely too heavily on the long ball. But that's always been a silly complaint to me. If you have five players capable of hitting 30 home runs (and the Rangers do), there's no shame in depending on the long ball for stretches of the season.
This lineup is so deep and versatile that it can survive slow starts from sluggers such as Cruz and Napoli, who homered for the first time this season in the fifth inning Sunday.
Josh Hamilton has helped make up for that with a torrid start. He leads the AL in hits and he's 5-for-9 with two homers when swinging at the first pitch. Surely an advanced scout has mentioned to the Red Sox and Tigers that grooving a first-pitch strike to Hamilton isn't a good idea right now, if ever.
The Rangers will face stiffer competition against the Red Sox, Tigers and Yankees, but no one should minimize what they've done against the dregs of the American League. The Angels dropped out of the AL West race last season, in part because they struggled against the Mariners and A's. One of Washington's best traits is that he convinces his players to show great respect for every opponent. When the Rangers lost a 3-1 lead in the ninth against the Mariners, it was a good reminder that any lineup can bite you at some point. Even one that hadn't scored in more than 22 innings.
And that brings us to the life and times of Rangers closer Joe Nathan. After failing twice early in the season when asked to pitch on consecutive days, Nathan delivered a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out a 4-3 win over the Twins on Sunday.
It's not like the Rangers were going to give up on the 37-year-old veteran this early in the season, but it did seem like Washington and pitching coach Mike Maddux weren't quite sure how to use him. When they brought in Alexi Ogando to close Friday's win over Minnesota, it raised a few eyebrows, including mine. But a Rangers source told me late that evening that it had been decided Nathan could use two days off and that he would be "full go" for Saturday's game.
Nathan threw 26 pitches in a non-save situation Saturday and then closed things out quickly (9 pitches) Sunday.
It's something that bears watching, but it's not a huge concern at this point. The upside to Darvish and Feliz running into trouble in the sixth inning was that 22-year-old left-hander Robbie Ross was thrown into the mix as a middle reliever. He recorded back-to-back wins and obviously gained more credibility in the Rangers' deep bullpen.
Not everything has gone perfectly through 10 games, but it sure feels that way. Now, let's see how the Rangers do against some legitimate playoff contenders.
