There is no question that the 2012 Texas Rangers will be in a position to produce runs. They've got a solid group of hitters and no real bad place in the batting order. If you need extra info on how we believe this squad will finish up, check our complete 2012 Texas Rangers predictions.
Projected Lineup
Mike Napoli (Catcher) - Napoli put together a fantastic 2011 season on each side of the ball. His was top quality on defense and he had a career season offensively. He ended up batting a solid .320 with 30 HRs and 75 RBI in just 113 games. It'll be tough for him to replicate those stats in 2012, but he figures to make a big impact for Texas and be one of the best all round catchers in the MLB.
Mitch Moreland (First Base) - Early in the year, Moreland was looking like he was on his way to a breakthrough year after batting .300 with seven HRs in his first 160 ABs, but he was not in a position to keep up his hitting and struggled at the end of the year. He ended the season with a .259 average to go along with 16 HRs and 51 RBI. He's still pretty young, as he just turned 27, so some people predict a breakout season to finally occur for him in 2012.
Ian Kinsler (Second Base) - After a below average performance in 2010, he rebounded back in 2011 to have an analogous year to the one during his breakout season in 2009. The 29-year-old batted just .255, but made up for it with 32 HRs, 77 RBI, and 30 robbed bases. He is still in the peak of his career, so expect similar if not better production in 2012.
Elvis Andrus (Shortstop) - Andrus put together a career year in his third season in the big leagues. The Rangers hope this ultra-talented 23-year-old can continue his stellar play in 2012. His average of .279, 96 runs, 60 RBI and 37 steals were all career highs for this accomplished kid coming along on his own.
Adrian Beltre (Third Base) - Though Beltre is certainly getting along in age (he's 32), he still has 1 or 2 good years in him. He played in 124 games in his first year with the Rangers, posting solid numbers when he was on the field. He helped brace the team on the defensive end, and his offense failed to take a big dip, as he hit .296 with 32 home runs and 105 RBI.
Josh Hamilton (Left Field) - Injuries kept Hamilton from copying his MVP performance from 2010, but he was still a force offensively when he played. He hit .298 with 25 home runs and 94 RBI in just 121 games. The Rangers will try to keep him healthy by moving him to left field. If it's working, expect him to be in the thick of things in the AL MVP race in 2012.
Craig Gentry (Center Field) - Despite not being superb on offense, Gentry is a defensive stud on the diamond, so it's as though he'll have the edge in the battle for the field job this spring. His worth lies defensively, as he just batted .271 with one HR and 13 RBI in 133 ABs last season. But with all of the offensive firepower this franchise has, so long as Gentry plays well on defense, he might just be able to keep his position in center field.
Nelson Cruz (Right Field) - It is reasonably disappointing that Cruz is unable to keep fit for a full season, as the guy is an animal on the plate. He was limited to just 124 games last year, but still managed to hit 29 home runs with 87 RBI. The Rangers are hoping this is the year Cruz can stay healthy, in order that they can finally evaluate what they have in the fellow during the course of a full season.
Michael Young (Designated Hitter) - Despite not particularly liking the situation he was put in after being moved to DH, he did not looked fazed and had another spectacular performance last season. He finished the year with a career-high .338 average with 11 HRs and 106 RBI. He will likely not return to his power form from two seasons back, when he was a 20-plus HR hitter, but he is still one of the very finest hitters in the game.
Projected Lineup
Mike Napoli (Catcher) - Napoli put together a fantastic 2011 season on each side of the ball. His was top quality on defense and he had a career season offensively. He ended up batting a solid .320 with 30 HRs and 75 RBI in just 113 games. It'll be tough for him to replicate those stats in 2012, but he figures to make a big impact for Texas and be one of the best all round catchers in the MLB.
Mitch Moreland (First Base) - Early in the year, Moreland was looking like he was on his way to a breakthrough year after batting .300 with seven HRs in his first 160 ABs, but he was not in a position to keep up his hitting and struggled at the end of the year. He ended the season with a .259 average to go along with 16 HRs and 51 RBI. He's still pretty young, as he just turned 27, so some people predict a breakout season to finally occur for him in 2012.
Ian Kinsler (Second Base) - After a below average performance in 2010, he rebounded back in 2011 to have an analogous year to the one during his breakout season in 2009. The 29-year-old batted just .255, but made up for it with 32 HRs, 77 RBI, and 30 robbed bases. He is still in the peak of his career, so expect similar if not better production in 2012.
Elvis Andrus (Shortstop) - Andrus put together a career year in his third season in the big leagues. The Rangers hope this ultra-talented 23-year-old can continue his stellar play in 2012. His average of .279, 96 runs, 60 RBI and 37 steals were all career highs for this accomplished kid coming along on his own.
Adrian Beltre (Third Base) - Though Beltre is certainly getting along in age (he's 32), he still has 1 or 2 good years in him. He played in 124 games in his first year with the Rangers, posting solid numbers when he was on the field. He helped brace the team on the defensive end, and his offense failed to take a big dip, as he hit .296 with 32 home runs and 105 RBI.
Josh Hamilton (Left Field) - Injuries kept Hamilton from copying his MVP performance from 2010, but he was still a force offensively when he played. He hit .298 with 25 home runs and 94 RBI in just 121 games. The Rangers will try to keep him healthy by moving him to left field. If it's working, expect him to be in the thick of things in the AL MVP race in 2012.
Craig Gentry (Center Field) - Despite not being superb on offense, Gentry is a defensive stud on the diamond, so it's as though he'll have the edge in the battle for the field job this spring. His worth lies defensively, as he just batted .271 with one HR and 13 RBI in 133 ABs last season. But with all of the offensive firepower this franchise has, so long as Gentry plays well on defense, he might just be able to keep his position in center field.
Nelson Cruz (Right Field) - It is reasonably disappointing that Cruz is unable to keep fit for a full season, as the guy is an animal on the plate. He was limited to just 124 games last year, but still managed to hit 29 home runs with 87 RBI. The Rangers are hoping this is the year Cruz can stay healthy, in order that they can finally evaluate what they have in the fellow during the course of a full season.
Michael Young (Designated Hitter) - Despite not particularly liking the situation he was put in after being moved to DH, he did not looked fazed and had another spectacular performance last season. He finished the year with a career-high .338 average with 11 HRs and 106 RBI. He will likely not return to his power form from two seasons back, when he was a 20-plus HR hitter, but he is still one of the very finest hitters in the game.
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