ARLINGTON -- The Rangers have been one of the biggest underperforming teams in the Majors. They’re not the worst -- obviously -- but they’re a team that came into the season with big expectations that they haven’t quite lived up to yet. Between a generational rotation (3.27 ERA, first in American League), a completely rebuilt bullpen (3.37 ERA, second in AL) that’s held its own and a fairly healthy position player group, Texas (48-49) should be right in the mix with the AL’s best. That’s not quite happened. Here is a further look ahead at the second half for the Rangers ... |
One second half goal: Be a league average offense It’s obviously easier said than done, or else they would’ve done it already, but the Rangers have the best rotation and a top three bullpen. If the offense could just be league average, Texas would be right in the mix for the best team in MLB. Coulda, shoulda, woulda, but that’s been clear all season long. If guys like Corey Seager and Marcus Semien keep playing up to their standard, Josh Smith keeps being the best super utility guy in the Majors and Jake Burger could just provide a bit of pop, the Rangers could be in a good place in the second half. Likely Trade Deadline strategy: Stay put, offload pieces if possible The big three -- Seager, Semien and Jacob deGrom -- aren’t going anywhere. But unless things go really good or really bad over these last two weeks until the Trade Deadline, the Rangers are just one of many AL teams with a chance at that final Wild Card spot. There’s not much to sell off, especially with Tyler Mahle and his expiring contract shut down until August, and a player like Adolis García may not have much value outside the organization. If it needs to be blown up, Texas likely won’t do that until the offseason. |
Key player: Seager It’s obvious, but Seager’s health matters just as much as his performance. The Rangers’ shortstop endured two stints on the injured list this season with a right hamstring strain and he was slow to come back from the second one, slashing just .188/.360/.353 in June. But Seager has looked more like himself over the last two weeks going into the break, posting a 1.188 OPS over his last 15 games. Many -- but not all -- of Texas’ offensive woes can be put on the shoulders of Seager’s absence and underperformance. With him back and performing at a high level, maybe the rest of the offense follows. Prospect to watch: Cody Freeman Freeman -- a fourth-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft -- hasn’t been widely heralded outside of the organization, but the Rangers have been impressed with his development over the past five years. Freeman is having the best year of his professional career with Triple-A Round Rock this season, hitting .315 with an .861 OPS. With the Express, Freeman has played second, third and shortstop and served as the designated hitter, but he has also caught 138 games across his entire Minor League career. The Rangers have been looking for offensive sparks all season long, and Freeman could be the next prospect in line. |
What’s next? The road doesn’t exactly get easier for the Rangers in the second half. They’re scheduled to play 11 series against teams currently in a postseason position, including six games against the Astros and three against the Mariners. It’ll be an uphill climb to get back to the postseason for sure. Game remaining: 65 (Home, 33; Away, 32) Remaining strength of schedule: .516, 2nd in MLB, first in AL, first in AL West Key series - July 28-Aug. 3: Seven-game West Coast road trip against the Angels and Mariners, the two AL West teams that are both in the Wild Card mix leading up to the Deadline
- Sept. 5-7: Three-game series at home against the Astros. If the Rangers remain in the mix after the Deadline, it will be a pivotal series for both the division and the Wild Card
- Sept. 15-17: Three on the road to close out the Silver Boot Series, the last chance to potentially catch Houston in the division (improbable but not impossible)
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