The AL West is shaping up as a division that will come down to the wire. Every team is lumped together in the standings, as the separation between first and last place as of this writing is only 5.5 games. None of the teams have been extremely hot lately, and everyone sits near .500 for the season. As of now, this race is way too early to call, and this will probably be the case throughout the season. Its going to be a very interesting season in this division.
Texas Rangers
Currently:
The Rangers are slowly but surely building a solid team that appears to be geared to contend for the long-term. So far this season, the team has made its mark with consistent hitting. The Rangers rank 3rd in the AL in team BA and in total hits, and their nucleus of Michael Young, Hank Blalock and Gary Matthews, Jr. are all in the prime of their careers. The Rangers are gnats in regards to their offense, though, as they rank in the bottom half of the AL in power numbers. Their pitching has been solid if not spectacular, as they rank in the middle of the pack in the AL in nearly every statistical category.
Outlook:
The Rangers are a team that appears to be built...