Feb 25, 2013; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Neil Ramirez (35) pitches during the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Here are the pitchers that have played well in the first month of the season:

Double A – Frisco, SP, Neil Ramirez, 23 yrs old

After getting drafted in the first round in 2007,  Neil Ramirez has been on a roller coaster of a ride the past five years. He became a top Texas Ranger prospect after the 2011 season but struggled last year at Round Rock with an ERA over 7. This year, Ramirez went back down to Frisco and he has dominated so far. Neil has a 1.86 ERA, 25 strikeouts and 12 walks in 19 innings stretched over 4 starts this year. The walks are a little higher than he would like but he has found away to keep hitters off of the base paths anyways. Most Impressive Fact: Ramirez’s hits per nine innings last year was 9.1, this year it is 3.3 H/9.

Neil facing Oscar Taveras (#3 prospect in baseball)… HERE

Advanced A – Myrtle Beach, SP, Luke Jackson, 21 yrs old

Luke Jackson has often been compared to Cody Buckel. Surprisingly, Jackson has the higher upside, has better stuff, but less control. Jackson was drafted with a compensatory pick in 2010 out of a Florida HS. In 2011 Luke had a 5.8 BB/9, last year he had a 4.5 BB/9. In 21.1 innings this year, Jackson has lowered his walks once again with a 3.8 BB/9. He is 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Most Impressive Fact: Jackson’s H/9, BB/9, HR/9, SO/9, ERA, and WHIP have all improved gradually each year in professional baseball.

Single A – Hickory, SP, C.J. Edwards, 21 yrs old

After exploding onto the scene last year, some people in the baseball community chose to take the wait-and-see approach when it came to committing to the obvious fact that C.J. Edwards is a stud. So far this season Edwards has done nothing but further improve his level of play. He has started five games on the mound while allowing just five earned runs. C.J. has also struck out 29 batters and only walked 7 during those 23.1 innings. Most Impressive Fact: C.J. Edwards has 114 strikeouts over 90.1 professional innings in his career. Over those 90.1 innings, he hasn’t allowed a single homerun.

Here is C.J. striking out Dante Bichette Jr. ( New York Yankees #9 prospect)… http://youtu.be/kkY_Y4vYHWc

Honorable Mention – Pitchers:

AAA – Round Rock, SP, Josh Lindblom, 25 yrs old  (3-0, 1.90 ERA, 23.2 IP, 24 Ks)

AAA – Round Rock, RP, Cory Burns, 25 yrs old  (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 8.2 IP, 14 Ks)

A – Hickory, SP, Connor Sadzeck, 21 yrs old  (2-1, 1.37 ERA, 26.1 IP, 17 Ks)

Feb. 20, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA: Texas Rangers outfielder Engel Beltre poses for a portrait during photo day at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Here are the position players that have played well in the first month of the season:

Triple A – Round Rock, OF, Engel Beltre, 23 yrs old

Engel Beltre is one of the most talented players in the Texas organization, but he has also been one of the most inconsistent players. This year Engel has batted above .300 while cutting down his strikeouts. Beltre has five doubles and six steals so far this year. Can’t read too much into a guy hitting just above average and showing good speed but there is extreme upside here. If Beltre can string together a good season during his first year at the AAA level, he could, at the very least, be a good OF depth option when the call-ups are made in September.  Most Impressive Fact: Engel Beltre had 47 extra base hits last year and stole 36 bases in 133 games last season.

Dude has some pop… http://youtu.be/jqaaV9BCL48

Advanced A – Myrtle Beach, MIF, Rougned Odor, 19 yrs old

Rougned Odor is my favorite name in sports. Odor may also be my favorite player in sports… seriously. Odor is the youngest player in Advanced A ball this year at 19 years old. He was signed as a 17 yr old out of Venezuela for $450,000 in 2011. He has jumped to a new level each year and has excelled despite being a lot younger than everyone else in the league. So far this season Rougned has batted .269 with 3 homeruns, 5 steals, and 6 walks. Last season Rougned hit 10 homeruns while swiping 19 bags in only 109 games. All the while, he is only a teenager. Most Impressive Fact: This isn’t a stat but it is a cool piece of information. Kevin Goldstein, the Coordinator of Pro Scouting of the Houston Astros, said Odor’s hit tool can be a 70 at the pace he is going. (Jurickson Profar‘s hit tool is a 70) Jim Callis of Baseball America said on Twitter this year when asked what he thought about Odor, “Like him, gun to my head… would take [Odor] over Schoop.” Jonathan Schoop is considered a top 100 prospect in baseball. Schoop is the number four second base prospect behind Jedd Gyorko, Kolten Wong, and Delino DeShields.

……Oh and the kid can knock your a#$ out if you say something unnecessary to him as he passes you by.  http://youtu.be/Wt5eZJWMELo

Single A – Hickory, OF, Nick Williams, 19 yrs old

Last year the Texas Rangers drafted two young OF prospects that were raw but could potentially show five real tools if they developed well. Lewis Brinson was taken in the first round as a natural speedy center fielder and Nick Williams was taken in the second round as a potential power hitter. In the Arizona Rookie League, Brinson and Williams both tore it up. Brinson hit 7 homers in 54 games in the AZL a year ago while Williams hit 2 homers in nearly 50 games. That left people wondering if Williams could really hit for power against the talented pitchers he was facing. Well, this year Williams has 7 bombs in 18 games while also having a .303 AVG.  Although Williams is striking out quite a bit (23 times in 76 ABs), nobody can question that the power is now showing up… in full force. Unfortunately Nick Williams has just been placed on the disabled list after leaving a game early recently. Hopefully he will get back onto the field quick. Most Impressive Fact: Williams’ former summer baseball team, the Houston Banditos, will be filmed and made into a reality television show on TruTV in the coming months. The program will be the first to show the inside of competitive college-prep travel baseball.

The kid has a smooth HR stroke… http://yt2gif.com/view/171782

Honorable Mention – Position Players:

Single A – Hickory, 3B, Joey Gallo, 19 yrs old  (.221/.327/.558, 8 HRs, 17 RBIs)

Single A – Hickory, C, Jorge Alfaro, 19 yrs old  (.262/.315/.500, 4 HRs, 14 RBIs, 3 SBs)

Double A – Frisco, OF, Jared Hoying, 23 yrs old  (.291/.351/.547, 4 HRs, 15 RBIs, 2 SBs)

Feb 26, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cody Buckel (76) pitches during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Players that have disappointed so far this year:

Double A – Frisco, SP, Cody Buckel, 20 yrs old  (0-4, 18.00 ERA, 9 IP, 25 BBs, 9 Ks)

Cody Buckel has struggled to control any of his pitches in any of his outings this year. Buckel’s difficult throwing motion that has allowed him to be so effective and deceptive may be halting his progression at Frisco. Although Cody has been very consistent in rising through the minor league ranks the past couple of years, with his throwing motion, it seems like no two deliveries are perfectly repeating themselves for Buckel. Buckel failed to record an out in his last outing while allowing 6 earned runs and walking 3 batters. It was also just announced that the Rangers will not demote Buckel back down to Myrtle Beach. They will use Buckel out of the bullpen here for a while instead.

Triple A – Round Rock, 3B, Mike Olt, 24 yrs old  (.139/.235/.236, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 32 SOs)

Mike Olt has failed to string good at-bats together so far this year in Round Rock. Olt went 2 for 17 with 6 strikeouts and a two run homer in his last five games. Now, Olt has watched the last three games from the bench. May be just what the doctor ordered… we can only hope.

Gerry Fraley recently had an article up on DallasNews.com where he discussed Cody Buckel’s struggles…

The Texas Rangers held an internal discussion to determine the next step for highly regarded right-hander Cody Buckel after his struggles deepened Saturday night with Double-A Frisco.Buckel faced six hitters against Corpus Christi, of the Houston organization, without getting an out. He allowed one hit and three walks and hit two batters. Buckel threw only nine strikes among his 29 pitches.Buckel’s control problems surfaced while he was in major league spring-training camp. In two appearances against major league hitters, Buckel allowed five walks and threw 58 pitches in one inning.General manager Jon Daniels said there are no indications Buckel is injured, but the club is puzzled beyond that.“We’re not sure what it is yet,” Daniels said.

**Stats were taken on April 29, 2013 in the morning.

Apr 20, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; A fan celebrates after catching the home run ball in front of Seattle Mariners center fielder Franklin Gutierrez (21) hit by Texas Rangers catcher A.J. Pierzynski (not shown) during the fourth inning at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

Now, the Rangers sit on top of the A.L. “Wild” West with a 12-6 record. The Oakland Athletics sit in second place, a half-game back, after getting swept by the Tampa Bay Rays, who were 5-10 heading into the series. The Los Angeles Angels are now in third place after sweeping the Detroit Tigers in a 3-game-set in California. They are 4 and 1/2 games back of the Rangers. The Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros round out the division standings at 6 and 7 games behind the Rangers respectively.

The Angels will host Texas on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at Angel Stadium. This series could swing the AL West into two totally different directions. With a clean sweep of the Angels the Rangers will be looking down at LA on the league standings, making them 7 and 1/2 games back. If the LA club sweeps the Rangers, Texas will be up just a game and a half. Looking at some stats on Fangraphs and the Angels’ ESPN Clubhouse page, there are a few things that stand out to me when it comes to the Angels.

• The Angels have scored 73 runs this year, the same as the Astros. They have also given up 83 runs, a -8 run differential. The Rangers have a run differential of +28.
• The Angels’ (BABIP) or Batting Average on Balls In Play, is ranked number one in the MLB. Their .329 BABIP is just about 20 to 30 points above league average. Many believe that a high BABIP is a stat that shows you’ve had a bit of good luck. The number basically shows that LAA has had balls drop into holes and ground balls find gaps more than normal so far in this young season. Nine times out of 10, the BABIP should level out over the course of the season. Furthermore, Texas’ BABIP is just about 30-40 points below league average, ranked number 24 in the MLB at .269.
• Out of all Angels pitchers, Garrett Richards has easily been the most impressive. He has good raw stuff but has had trouble finding the strike zone before this season. Right now he is 1-0 with a 2.55 ERA and a 0.68 WHIP in 17 and 2/3 innings. Don’t to rain on his parade, but numbers suggest he will regress hard as the law of averages kick him in the rear. His FIP is a full point higher than his ERA. His BABIP is about .175 points below average and his Left On Base percentage is 11% higher than previous season averages. Richards started in the bullpen but entered the rotation after Jered Weaver went down earlier this month.
• Injury Concerns: Jered Weaver (Elbow), Erick Aybar (Heel), Mark Lowe (Neck),  Alberto Callaspo (Calf), and Ryan Madson (Elbow) are all currently on the 15-day Disabled List. Albert Pujols has been Day-to-Day with plantar fasciitis and inflammation in his left foot. Pujols told the Los Angeles Times on Sunday, “I’m dying… It’s hurting real bad.” Albert will most likely remain at DH until he can tolerate playing in the field.
• The starting rotation for the Angels is a combined 4-7. They’ve allowed 54 earned runs in 94 and 2/3 innings. That is an ERA of 5.13.
• The starting rotation for the Rangers is a combined 8-6. They’ve allowed 35 earned runs in 103 innings. That is an ERA of 3.14.
• The Angels needed well over 100 pitches from their bullpen on Sunday night in a 13 inning battle against Detroit. Ernesto Frieri and Jerome Williams both threw over 30 pitches a piece in the game. Sean Burnett, Dane De La Rosa, and Scott Downs made relief appearances as well. Luckily enough for the Angels, Garrett Richards‘ performance on Saturday helped the Angels conserve bullpen arms. Only two relievers were needed in the game for LA, both Michael Roth and Michael Kohn threw 15 pitches a piece.

In the three-game-set against LA starting Monday night, Joe Blanton (0-3, 8.59 ERA) faces Derek Holland (1-1, 1.64 ERA). Jason Vargas (0-2, 6.75 ERA) will take on Alexi Ogando (2-1, 3.32 ERA) on Tuesday night and Tommy Hanson (2-1, 4.24 ERA) will try to best Yu Darvish (3-1, 2.03 ERA) in the final game of the series.

Just a little extra from the great Jamey Newberg’s “Newberg Report” this morning:

“I pulled the Angels’ radio broadcast up in the 12^th inning yesterday.  Peter Bourjos struck out and Mike Trout flew out to center, and Jim Leyland intentionally walked Albert Pujols for the second time in the game to get to Josh Hamilton.  Yes, Detroit deliberately put the winning run on base in the bottom of an extra inning.

As Hamilton stepped to the plate, the Angels’ radio man said, with an unmistakable sense of resignation in his voice: “He’s gonna make ’em pay . . . . One of these days.”

Four-seam Phil Coke fastball, 93 mph, called strike one.

Four-seam fastball, 93 mph, fouled off for strike two.

Four-seam fastball, 92 mph, swinging strike three.

In his final month as a Ranger, Hamilton hit .245/.330/.543.

In his miserable June and July, that two-month stretch that he joked to reporters he took off, he hit .202/.288/.399.

In the first three weeks of his five-year, eighth-of-a-billion-dollar contract with the Angels, Hamilton is hitting .176/.247/.324.”

Apr 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Derek Holland delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

This year, something has changed. He has by no means reached his full potential but he is working hard at it. Tuesday night on a cold, miserable, and wet night in Chicago I saw something mirroring a sign of growth and maturity. Derek threw 27 pitches in the first inning but didn’t allow a run. After the 2nd inning (also scoreless), Holland’s pitch count was at 40.

The first runner to reach third base for the Cubs was Alfonso Soriano, after a double bounced close to Jeff Baker‘s feet in the left field corner. Then Derek Holland threw a wild pitch.

But Holland settled in. At one point Dutch retired nine batters in a row. Overall, he went seven innings while allowing two hits, walking none, and striking out six Cub hitters. Holland was backed with 4 runs of support, matching the total from his previous two starts. (2 run, 15 I.P.) Derek has now gone 7 innings, 8 innings, and 7 innings in his first three starts this year while allowing 17 base runners and striking out 15 batters.

It took Dutch until July 25th to throw a combined 22 innings spread out over three consecutive starts last year. He has already done that this year. Holland went 16-5 in 2011 with a 3.95 ERA and a WAR of 3.6. Derek went 12-7 with a 4.67 ERA and a WAR of 1.7 a year ago. It isn’t impossible to imagine a year where Dutch pitches as good as he did in 2011, if not better. At the very least we could expect a season where his WAR passes 2 and his ERA is in the low 4′s. With the way he has busted out of the gates early in this season, we have been treated to something destined to regress hard. But we may also be watching the maturity of a young and awkward lefty prosper as his results prosper right along with it.

This may be overreaction at the moment. It may be wishful thinking right now. In all honesty, I have NEVER been high on Derek Holland. With that said, I understand the Cliff Lee comparisons, I understand his talent, and I understand you can’t predict baseball.