Kevin Sherrington

Coming off a season in which the Rangers defied the laws of mathematics, if not the universe, by posting the best record in the American League, it's reasonable to assume that fate will dial it back a little this season. Which is probably OK, given that all it resulted in last year was a quick exit from the playoffs.

The Rangers can reasonably assume that they'll get better production from the top end of their rotation. Yu Darvish is healthy from the get-go, and he's in a contract year. Those types of developments generally bode well. If Carlos Gomez continues to play like he did after joining the Rangers last year, they should also be better in center field. If the plan to move Shin-Soo Choo to designated hitter results in more games played, then that's another significant improvement, as is Mike Napoli over Mitch Moreland at first base and a full season of Jonathan Lucroy at catcher. Here's betting Nomar Mazara's disciplined approach leads to a step up this season.

On the down side: No one should expect Adrian Beltre, at 38, to reproduce his phenomenal numbers of last year. Elvis Andrus also had a career year, at least offensively, and who knows what to expect from Roogie Odor? Will he be a big bat again? Or will teams show they've figured him out as he chases pitch after pitch?

Bottom line: They should be at least as good as they were last year offensively, meaning the best hopes of beating the numbers is in the rotation. If Cole Hamels isn't on the decline at 33, if Martin Perez takes another step up, and Tyson Ross reverts to what he was before his injuries, the rotation would be vastly improved. But those are big ifs. Getting one of those three is more likely. Two, at best.The bullpen should be the team's strength. But bullpens are hard to predict. Doesn't mean we won't try.

Prediction: Second in AL West (88 wins), wild-card team

Gerry Fraley

Whitey Herzog, the Hall of Fame manager whom the Rangers fired, liked to offer a proposition.

"You put every other manager in the other dugout," Herzog said. "You give me the best bullpen."

What happens?

"I'll win every year," Herzog said.

Herzog was an early believer in the value of a stout bullpen, a sentiment that now sweeps the game. A good bullpen can make up for a variety of failings.

That will be the Rangers' path to winning the American League West for the third consecutive season. They have the division's best bullpen, by a wide margin.

The Rangers experienced a degree of luck last year. They won 95 games despite outscoring opponents by only eight runs overall. The best-ever record in one-run games (36-11) figured in that.

The Rangers cannot count on that success again, but they have the security blanket of a deep bullpen that was 41-20 with the AL's third-best save-conversion rate at 76.7 last season. Whitey would have loved those odds.

Prediction: First in AL West (89 wins)

Evan Grant

This season is about the pitching.

The Rangers rotation, by early May, should be as deep as it’s ever been. If not, this team could be in trouble. So much trouble that I wouldn’t rule out a July clearance sale of impending free agents.

But, I don’t think that’s going to happen.

The rotation and the bullpen give the Rangers the best overall pitching staff in the West, and that’s going to make the difference in a very tight race. Tight enough, I think, that both wild cards will come from this division.

The ultimate edge is the Rangers’ final homestand. Both Houston and Seattle finish the season on the road.

Prediction: First in AL West (90 wins)

Tim Cowlishaw

The Houston Astros finally tear down that wall and not only win a season series with Texas but an AL West title. Not all is lost for the Rangers, who win 88 games and defeat the Detroit Tigers in a wild-card game before losing a six-game series to the eventual AL champion Boston Red Sox.

The Rangers' infield of Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Rougned Odor and Mike Napoli performs well enough but can't quite match their offensive output from 2016. Still, it's a formidable lineup as Shin-Soo Choo hits and avoids long stays on the disabled list and Carlos Gomez performs at close to the level he produced in September 2016.

Cole Hamels leads the club in wins, but Yu Darvish states his case for a big long-term contract by leading the AL in strikeouts during a solid season.

Prediction: Second in AL West (88 wins), wild-card team