AL West: Texas Rangers

The Rangers took a step backwards last season; after coming within 3 games of winning the AL West in 2004, they only won 79 games last season. However, the pitching staff has been revamped, and there is hope for 2006. While they won't catch the A's for first place, the offense is still potent enough that if the pitchers can avoid complete disaster, making a run for second place and the wild card isn't out of the question.

Lineup: Mark Teixeira is quickly turning into one of the premier first basemen in baseball. He's hit 81 home runs the past two seasons, and his OBP has been over .370. He'll be the cornerstone for many years to come. Although Alfonso Soriano was traded to Washington, there is still excellent protection for Teixeira. 3B Hank Blalock had a down year in 2005, going .318/.431, but the Rangers have reason to believe that season was an anomaly, as in 2003 and 2004 he was in the .350/.500 range. Michael Young surpassed Miguel Tejada as the top shortstop in many fantasy drafts, and if he slugs over .500 with a .385 OBP again, his stock will continue to rise. The outfield is unspectactular, but in Texas the likes of David Dellucci, Kevin Mench, and Brad Wilkerson should easily put up 20 home runs. Gary Matthews recieved a lot of playing time last season, and is a credible option off the bench. Phil Nevin is slotted in as the DH, but his production fell faster than George W. Bush's support last year. At 35, he'll have to prove he has something left. Rod Barajas is not going to make any All-Star games, but again, playing in Texas, he'll put up suitable offensive numbers. The biggest whole is at second base, where someone has to replace Soriano. The leader is Ian Kinsler, but he has never had a major league at bat. Should he falter, Mark DeRosa could take his spot. The power is there to make this offense one of the best in baseball, although the numbers are pumped up by playing in Arlington.

Starting Rotation: To their credit, the Rangers realized that they needed new faces in their starting rotation, and went out and got them. Kevin Millwood, the reigning AL ERA leader, was signed to a 5 year, $60 million contract. While not even the most optimistic Ranger fans expect Millwood to repeat his 2.86 ERA, he is a solid workhorse who has had success in the American League, unlike the last big-name starter Texas signed for five years- Chan Ho Park. Adam Eaton was acquired from San Diego, and while he's had three straight years of ERA's in the 4's, he's never thrown over 200 innings in a season, and has spent his whole career in pitcher-friendly San Diego. Vincente Padilla, on the other hand, spent last season in Philadelphia, site of a notoriously strong advantage to the hitter. He's had back to back over 200 IP seasons where his ERA was under 3.63 and WHIP under 1.24, and while he hasn't pitched over 150 innings in each of the past two seasons, he still pitched solidly in that time. He's used to hitter friendly parks, and should post decent numbers (ERA in the 4's) for a Texas team that isn't looking for Pedro's, just for guys who can eat innings but still post an ERA under 5. Kameron Loe came along strong last season, but it was his first season of significant big league action, so he's far from a sure thing. The same holds true for Juan Dominguez. In case the last two fail, the Rangers can go with R.A. Dickey, who has started many games for them, but has never had an ERA under 5. The front of the rotation should hold up, but by the end of the year, the 4 and 5 slots could be a mess.

Bullpen: Francisco Cordero will be a stopper at the back, but aside from that, the Texas bullpen has few bright spots. Akinori Otsuka has been excellent in his first two major leaugue seasons, both with San Diego, and Joaquin Benoit found his niche in the bullpen last year, but for three seasons before that had ERA's in the 5's. John Wadsin pitched 75 solid innings last year, but may show why he's a career journeyman. Aside from that, they are stuck with Brian Shouse, who regressed horribly last year, Frank Francisco, who missed all of 2005, and Erasmo Ramirez, who has posted good numbers, but never pitched more than 49 innings in a season. C.J. Wilson (6.94 ERA) and youngster Scott Feldman are also in the mix.

X-Factor: Kevin Millwood. He's being paid ace money, and the Rangers need him to deliver; there isn't a backup option.

Biggest Strength/Weakness: Infield Offense/Pitching Depth

Projection: 3rd place in the AL West

Win Range: 79-84