It's official: Texas has the best infield in the game.

[DK]

No I'm talking about overall. Is Jack Wilson better than Edgar Renteria?? Cuz his stats are right now!!

Comparison:

1B-Teixiera vs. Giambi. Teixiera has huge potential in the future, and Giambi is slumping like crazy (mainly due to his "four-pound" weight loss). Still, I've got to give it to the guy who's done it consistently for a long time.

EDGE: NYY

2B-Soriano vs. Cairo/Wilson. No comparison necessary.

EDGE: TEX

SS-M. Young vs. Jeter. Jeter's fielding has gone up this year, but he's in a steady decline regarding fielding and I expect it to go down. M. Young is a bright, exciting star who is making a case as one of the best shortstops in the league.

EDGE: TEX

3B-Blalock vs. A. Rodriguez. Blalock has monster potential, but A-Rod is still A-Rod.

EDGE: NYY

So, looking at it like this, the infields are even. But you have to take into account:

1.Giambi IS on the decline, while Teixiera is rising steadily
2.Teixiera and Giambi are close, while Soriano rips Cairo/Wilson to shreds (IE weighted edge)
3.I hate Derek Jeter
4.Blalock is one of the best young hitters in baseball with limitless potential, IE he's closer to A-Rod than Cairo/Wilson is to Soriano.

So, with my analysis, I have to give Texas the better overall infield.

[G-Man]

Teixeira is just as good, if not better, than Giambi this year

as outrageous as that might sound to some upon first glance, I totally agree with you here. tex, along with the rest of the rangers bats, is coming around in a big way and should have a very impressive 2nd half.

[ajgnydc722]

I don't see how you can give Mike Young the nod over Jeter. Now maybe in 2 years he'll be a better ballplayer but do you really think that 3 months of playing really well gives him superstar status over Jeter, who's consistently been a all-star caliber player for 8 years?

Same goes for Tex and Blalock. I'm not saying they won't be huge stars in the future, but I need to see more than just a few months before I say that they are better than the likes of Giambi and Jeter.

[SaintsOfTheDiamond]

I think the Rangers are my new favorite AL team......wait they're the only AL team I would even think about liking. Seriously though the only other IF I would rather have overall (defense and offense) is St Louis, but not by much really. If I had to pick one out of all the teams in baseball though for the next decade I would have to take the Rangers because of the youth and incredibly enormous upside if they can keep them together. And it's scary to think they are this good while Young is adjusting to a new position and Soriano to a new team.

[ajgnydc722]

Is Soriano a FA at the end of the year?

[DK]

I don't see how you can give Mike Young the nod over Jeter. Now maybe in 2 years he'll be a better ballplayer but do you really think that 3 months of playing really well gives him superstar status over Jeter, who's consistently been a all-star caliber player for 8 years?

Same goes for Tex and Blalock. I'm not saying they won't be huge stars in the future, but I need to see more than just a few months before I say that they are better than the likes of Giambi and Jeter.

See #3 in my comparison.

Tex and Blalock? I didn't vote them over the respective Yankee stars.

[John Bonzo]

Is Soriano a FA at the end of the year?

I think hes arbitration eligible.