C.J. Wilson was a great pitcher for the Texas Rangers after becoming a starter prior to the 2010 season. In 2011, he had the best season for a Rangers starter since Nolan Ryan back in the early 1990s. He did a lot and his performance went a long way toward the Rangers getting to where they were the past two seasons. But he was also awful in the postseason, and his antics were beginning to wear on Rangers teammates and fans, alike.
So the Rangers went out and won the bidding for Yu Darvish and signed him to a deal and they let C.J. Wilson walk in free agency, to their fiercest rivals, the Los Angeles Angels.
The season was setting up to be a two-horse race in the AL West. So far, the Rangers are in first place, as expected, and the Angels are in last — nine games out of the lead through the first month of the season as all-world slugger Albert Pujols went homerless in April to start his Angels career.
Now, with a week and a half before the two teams square off the first time this season in the friendly confines of Ranger Ballpark in Arlington, folks are starting to look at potential pitching matchups and they're liking what they're seeing.
The way things shape up right now, it looks like Darvish vs. Wilson, in Arlington on May 11 to open the series between the Rangers and Angels. Can you imagine the hype surrounding that game? I'm pretty sure it would be a sellout and the C.J. hatred would be out in full force.
Taking a look at the numbers, both pitchers have been good this year, and Wilson was always good at Rangers Ballpark, so it'd be interesting to see how he'd do against his former teammates.
Darvish: 2.18 ERA, 4-0, 33 strikeouts, 17 walks, 1.42 WHIP
Wilson: 2.70 ERA, 3-2, 30 strikeouts, 12 walks, 1.02 WHIP
