Over the past week, the Texas Rangers crossed the midway point of the season.
Just need to speak for everyone: The Rangers are playing 1,000 times better than we could have imagined in early April.
No one saw this coming.
If you say you did, you're probably lying. If you actually did, good for you.
All the numbers are good and strong. The Rangers really aren't bad at anything nor are they great at anything. As it stands, being good at several things will win you games.
For the season, the Rangers have won 17 series, sweeping five and a shocking 18-6 record against American League West bunkmates.
That, friends, is quality baseball. Let's bask in the glow of a Rangers first half straight from the bosom of heaven.
Grades:
Jon Daniels -- A+
Darren O'Day. Andruw Jones. Jason Jennings. Elvis Andrus. Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Derek Holland. Scott Feldman. Jason Grilli. Tommy Hunter. Nellie Cruz. Doug Mathis. Julio Borbon. Omar Vizquel. All of these guys have been or are a Ranger thanks to our general manager. All of this plus the best farm system in professional baseball that's seemingly getting better. The players are still playing. The managers are still managing. But none of them are here without Daniels.
Ron Washington -- B+
His in-game decisions are still suspect and will probably be suspect for his entire tenure as Rangers manager. But there is not much to deny his ability to light a fire underneath his guys and to milk the very best out them. For the second straight year, Washington's job was saved mid-season thanks to a surge in play and the standings. I don't know what he does, but he does it well. Let's just ride it out.
Team MVP
Elvis Andrus -- A
Somewhere there's a sabermetrician that has calculated how many runs Andrus has saved thanks to his stellar play at shortstop. The Hardline has already named him the greatest shortstop in Rangers history. There is little argument for this. His .259 average, 16 steals and ability to not be a complete hole in the line-up is just gravy. This team thrived without Josh Hamilton and Frank Francisco. Almost everyone else has let the team down at one time or another. Andrus brings it every game with the glove and the bat. This team is lost without him.
Hank Blalock -- C
At least he's been healthy. He's already eclipsed his games played mark from the last two seasons and will probably crush his at-bat totals for those years soon enough. His power (18 home runs, 13 doubles) is still there. He can't play third base and his relegated to first base and DH. If there's a guy that may not be a Ranger in a week or two, it might be Blalock.
Marlon Byrd -- B
Having a stellar contract year. Leads the team with 27 doubles and his power numbers are up. Still, his walks are down and like every Ranger he's been prone to stumbling at the plate. But at least twice this season, Byrd was the best bat in the line-up. I also wonder about his tenure with the team come trade deadline time.
Nelson Cruz -- B+
Two years ago, we were OK with releasing the guy. In fact, he was outrighted and passed through waivers, I believe. All he needed was a little time. He's an All-Star now. And once we didn't even want him.
Chris Davis -- F
Poor kid. We took his 2008 for granted assuming he was perfectly ready for Majors when he clearly wasn't. He'll be back.
Scott Feldman -- A
Could not believe in the pre-season when Feldman was sent to the bullpen in lieu of Kris Benson. Behind Kevin Millwood, he's been by far the Rangers most consistent starter and probably the best. Of the 14 games Feldman's started, the Rangers have won 10 (Feldman's 7-2).
Frank Francisco -- B+
Was obnoxiously dominant before the injury. Is a big reason the Rangers are winning a lot of games.
Jason Grilli -- B
Another brilliant bullpen find for GM Jon Daniels. Hasn't allowed a run in his last eight appearances.
Eddie Guardado -- D
The most misused player on the team. I don't think he has a lot left. The problem I have is that he's best suited in situational lefty spots late in games. That's how he was used initially and then he wasn't and his wheels have never big aligned since.
Josh Hamilton -- F
He's been hurt. But he's been absent on several levels. His transition to DH needs to begin posthaste.
Matt Harrison -- D
Remember, he carried this team on his back for four straight starts. That doesn't explain away the awful beginning and awful end before injury, but nonetheless, he's had his role on this team.
Derek Holland -- C
The kid's learning how to pitch. Still, there are 10-year vets in this league who looked more overmatched than Holland does. What I like most is his control just allowing 17 walks in 57 innings and just three in his last 21 innings.
Jason Jennings -- C
I'm a huge critic of Jennings. Just drives me crazy sometimes. However, his effectiveness in long relief and keeping games in control with huge shutdown innings can not be disputed. It probably took a lot of guts for GM Jon Daniels to re-sign the guy after he stole $5 million from the team last season. Like Grilli and some others, he's been part of a very effective bullpen.
Andruw Jones -- C+
We're watching a guy re-make his career before our very eyes. Maybe. Jones needed this as much as the Rangers needed Jones. His power is seemingly back to a nice standard and his on-base percentage is up to his peak years and his strike outs are way down.
Ian Kinsler -- B
No one roots for Kinsler more than me. Despite the massive funk Kinsler's mired in, his value is still real. Thanks to staying injury free, Kinsler is going to set season marks for every statistical category on his baseball card. He hits for power, steals bases and draws walks. He's not meant for the lead-off spot, but the development of Andrus or Julio Borbon could remedy that.
Brandon McCarthy -- C
It broke my heart seeing McCarthy hit the DL with a stress fracture in his shoulder. He had been effective all season. Despite high hit totals, he's kept his team in games and pitched big innings. The Ranger need him back, healthy.
Kevin Millwood -- A
If the Rangers were going to be 11 games over .500, Millwood would need to be good. Instead, he's been great with only one bad start (the last one, against California). I suspect little else from Millwood the rest of the way.
David Murphy -- C+
Another personal fav. Like Feldman, it drove me crazy that Murphy was not starting when Spring Training broke. I think Murphy has a lot to offer in the field and at the plate. It's been great to see Murphy rebound from a disgusting start to raise his average up 200 points along the way. Murph is a keeper.
Darren O'Day -- A+
Without him, I'm convinced the Rangers are scratching away around .500 and punching the Mariners in the face for second place in the division. What a gigantic, season-defining find for GM Jon Daniels. That's a move that good teams make mid-season that almost magically work out for them.
Vicente Padilla -- B
At times, as good as he gets. Other times not. It feels that we get the latter more and more, but you can't argue with winning games and pitching well despite tossing junk. Placing him on waivers looks like a genius move.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia -- B
The bat still isn't there, but I would argue that there hasn't been a more clutch hitter on the team. Salty's story begins with defense. Always considered the lesser defender compared to Taylor Teagarden, we were regaled with tales of Salty working his ass off in the off-season to improve on this part of his game. It worked. He looks great back there.
Taylor Teagarden -- D
I love watching Andrus and Teagarden play. TNT looks like a genuine, old-school catcher back there. He works well with pitchers, the defense is just about complete. At times, he's not even a black hole in the line-up. I can't imagine the Rangers moving forward without either swapping Salty or TNT to another team.
Omar Vizquel -- B+
I was initially weary of Vizquel's signing because I thought he was direct competition for Andrus at shortstop. This misconception is why I'm a dorky blogger and guys like Jon Daniels runs a Major League baseball team. Vizquel wasn't Andrus' competition, but his mentor. A fellow Venezuelan, he could teach Andrus anything and everything about defense and executing at the plate. Plus, he's a most valuable utility infielder and hitting .295. I felt Milton Bradley brought more to the plate last season other than a bat. I thought he brought leadership. I think Vizquel is doing the same. I don't know if he get the same quality of play from Ramon Vasquez or German Duran.
C.J. Wilson -- B
A shaky start had everyone calling for Wilson's head. Not I. I am convinced Wilson has the stuff to be a pretty nice pitching in the Majors. Lately, he's been the Rangers best reliever and a most satisfactory replacement when Frank Francisco went down with injury.
Mike Young -- B+
I thought Young acted like a complete dick about moving to third base. Just grandstanding and posturing for the media whilst demanding a trade while holding onto an untradeable contract. I can now only think that it was a gut reaction to a bad time. Since, he's switched to third base where he's been good (All-Star good) and his bat his back. His power is coming back (maybe because of playing a less stressful third base) with 11 home runs and 27 doubles in a half season.