Rangers Mailbag: Martinez's Historic Start
On Tuesday, April 28 Jared Sandler (@sandlerj) asked questions with the hashtag, #AskJared, for 105.3 The Fan. Here are some of the interactions.
Would it be more beneficial for Harrison's career if he came back as a reliever?
@RayCartwright
There is definitely a value for a left-handed reliever in the bullpen who can also generate groundballs. With that said, there's also a value for that same guy in the starting rotation.
Starting pitchers get paid more because they are more important, so I imagine he'll get a few looks in the rotation before he's positioned otherwise.
Will we see Chi Chi [Gonzalez] before the All-Star break?
@DevinG37
I would think so, but he will definitely have to earn it. He isn't a Kris Bryant case, who was only sent down prior to the season for service time reasons. He was sent down to refine his game so that he was more ready for the Bigs when his time came. So, he's got to earn it, but I'm confident he will.
Do you think Nick Martinez can keep up his pace?
Daphne, Grapevine
I'll start off by saying that I do not think Nick Martinez will be the AL ERA leader. BUT, I do believe that Nick Martinez will remain a very quality starter for the Rangers for a few reasons.
First and foremost, I think he's a very strong player, mentally. I also think he is a very smart player who knows how to use the tools in his toolbox. Among those tools, a true "out-pitch" is not one, which is something he's owned and uses to his advantage by throwing all four of his pitches at various times.
He's doing a great job getting ahead of hitters and pounding the edges of the zone. A lot of people point to his luck, as evidenced through the statistic Batting Average on Ball In Play (BABIP), but he deserves credit for generating poor contact through quality pitching.
I truly think the Rangers have found something in Martinez.
Who will win the Stanley Cup?
@TrentKetterer
Put my money on the New York Rangers taking care of unfinished business from last year. But as long as the Ducks don't win it, I'd be okay.
Are you willing to spin the K&C Wheel of Misfortune?
@TheLionHeart86
I certainly am!
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)