This weeks spotlight focuses on the Rangers top starter, Ryan Drese.

Drese entered 2004 without a single successful year. Although he had won 10 games one year, he was never abe to pitch over 175 innings while maintaining a respectable ERA. In 2004 though, the sinker-ball changed it all. While working with Orel Hershiser and others, Drese added anoher pitch to his arsenal, the sinker. The pitch, which sits between 87 and 91 miles per hour became his most consistent pitch.

It also allowed him to win 14 games while pitching over 200 innings for the season. He maintained one of the leagues best ERAs for much of the year until the last month of the season when his ERA ballooned from 3.35 to 4.20. Due in large part to three horrific starts, Drese saw his overall peripherals skewed what had otherwise been a dominant year at the top of the Rangers rotation.

Going into 2005, Drese might be the single most important member of the Rangers rotation. Being the only starter with an ERA below 4.50 in 2004, he will be depended on to be the Rangers top starter again in 2005. He showed in 2004 the ability to get far more groundball than flyballs, a trait which will serve him well in the Ameriquest Field.

Additionally, his NRA of 3.73 and his DERA of 3.75 indicate he was in fact one of the better starters in MLB last year. When removing the three terrible starts from his record, Drese was in fact a 14-7 pitcher with an ERA around 3.70. While he might not match his 120 ERA+ in 2005, a win total of 15 or more is possible, and an ERA below 4.50 can be expected.