The Rangers’ New Approach

The opening series for the Texas Rangers was a good one. Most Ranger fans are probably happy to see Texas win two out of three against the Chicago Cubs. Especially since most baseball writers and bloggers have them picked to do well in the National League Central.

For the casual fan, it is exciting. For the knowledgeable fan, it was surprising. For the nerd it was mixed.

The Rangers are not helping their cause when it comes to defending pitching. So far the starting pitching has not been good. That carried over to the first game of the Houston series with Drew Smyly exiting after three innings. The relief pitching isn’t much better. Jose Leclerc and Jeffery Springs have been impressive. Adrian Sampson was stellar in long relief tonight. But beyond that, it’s been mediocre at best.

The offense is another story altogether. There is a new approach and it seems to be working. Chris Woodward was emotional when hearing his players echo what the message is. Resiliency is that message. Even when things don’t go your way, keep fighting and be resilient. The Rangers have done that well through four games. No matter how the game is going, this team feels there is a chance.

During the Cubs series, Rangers hitters saw an average of 163 pitches a game. That puts a strain on any pitching staff. If they can continue that trend, then the offense could be better than expected.

No team can overcome a performance like Brad Peacocks tonight. He was incredible allowing only two hits and one run through 6.2 innings. The Houston bullpen closed the door afterward. That’s going to happen when really good teams play the Rangers. But the approach is awesome. Seeing this lineups resilience is a good sign for the future.

This is going to be a fun team to watch this year. This lineup is not going to go down without a fight. If the pitching staff can find its footing, they may not go down as much as expected.

The new approach is fun.

Featured Photo: Rick Yeatts/Getty Images