The Rangers are headed to the postseason for the second consecutive season after winning the AL West. As this will be the first time that many fans across the Majors will be focusing on their roster, here's our attempt to learn the origins of ace Cole Hamels.
Cole Hamels, LHP
Born: San Diego
DOB: 12/27/83
HS: Rancho Bernardo (Calif.) High School
Minors: Lakewood (A), Clearwater (A+), Reading (AA), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (AAA)
Path to Texas: Hamels was acquired by the Rangers from the Phillies on July 31, 2015, with Jake Diekman and cash for Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff, Matt Harrison and Jake Thompson.
:: Before they were Postseason-bound: Select a player ::
Trophy case: Hamels is a four-time All-Star and earned the 2008 NL Babe Ruth Award. He was also named the 2008 NLCS MVP and World Series MVP.
Famous feat: Hamels' last start as a Phillie in 2015 was a no-hitter against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. It was the first no-hitter at Wrigley Field since Sept. 2, 1972.
You might not know: Hamels' No. 1 priority is education. His father was a school superintendent and his wife, Heidi, has a masters degree in international education. Hamels also scored a 1510 on his SAT. "Yeah. I don't really tell many people that," Hamels says, half blushing. "I guess not all athletes fit the jock prototype."
Six degrees of Willie Aikens: Hamels was selected No. 17 in the 2002 Draft, 10 spots after former teammate Prince Fielder, who retired earlier this season.
"It can get you in trouble, but that's who I am," Hamels says of being a perfectionist. "Perfectionism is the way to push yourself to the next level. On top of that, the guys I played with in Philly were just so good that I had to keep grinding away, and that definitely is a contributing factor. I'm the one who has to look at myself in the mirror and ask if I've put in all the work to get myself better, because no one else is going to do that for you."
Offseason hobby: Hamels is most proud of the school he and his wife have built -- and are continuing to build -- in the African nation of Malawi. The process started in 2001 and continues today. They are educating 2,500 orphans right now and continue to expand.
Instant love: Hamels met his wife, who was on the TV show "Survivor," at a baseball game and asked for her autograph. "She didn't know who I was, which worked out perfectly, because I knew she was genuine," he says.