With Opening Day on Monday, we are starting to see predictions and power rankings and that sort of thing...
Ken Rosenthal predicts a 2nd place finish for the Rangers, and has them in the "Rising, But Not Ready" category...
Joe Sheehan predicts the Rangers end the season in third place with a 78-84 record, 860 runs scored and 888 runs allowed, and has this to say about them:
It's very tempting to see the Rangers as a surprise team this year, what with a confluence of young talent on the way and a front office that is turning the team over to its youth. However, while the position players, many of them imports like Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Nelson Cruz, will boost the offense, the pitchers are a year behind. The Opening Day rotation isn't very good, and it pitches in front of a defense that leaves something to be desired. As much as I like the lineup, Elvis Andrus isn't ready to hit in the majors, and the ongoing fascination with David Murphy puzzles me. They'll sort these issues out in '09, and be my pick to win the West in 2010. And 2011. And 2012.
Yahoo has their baseball writers predict the final records of each team, and while Jeff Passan predicts an 85 win first place finish for the Rangers, the other three writers have Texas finishing third, with anywhere from 74-78 wins.
ESPN's power rankings have the Rangers at #22 to start the season.