The Rangers made their splash during the offseason adding Corey Kluber, Jordan Lyles, and Kyle Gibson to the rotation. However, it’s the offense that has caught the attention of baseball fans.
Over the first 5 games, the Rangers have a grand total of 13 runs, leaving Ranger fans shaking their heads after watching the team go 2-3. In the first 4 games combined, they only scored 6 runs at 1.5 runs per game. Against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Rangers only put up 1 run in the first game of the series, but then finally opened up the flood gates in the 8th inning in the form of a 5 run barrage to take the come from behind victory over the D-Backs. But will that one game be enough to turn their bats around?
The Rangers pitching staff has not been the issue at all, as they have been top 5 in the MLB this season so far while putting up 9.5 K/9 with an ERA under 3.00. The pitching has done its job, but the offense leaves much to be desired when it comes to hits and runs scored, but when 34 runners are left on base, it boils down to hitters just flat out not hitting when needed.
Todd Frazier actually leads the team in batting average with a .267 average, with the next closest hitter being Elvis at just .235. Last season, Danny Santana led the team with a .283 average in a breakout season for him, but is hitting just .059 with a horrid .059 OBP as well. Being so high in the lineup, it’s not a great look for the utility player looking to build on a great 2019 season.
In hopes of getting Santana going in the right direction, manager Chris Woodward even moved him into the 2 hole from the 3 spot in the lineup. Danny Santana became the first Ranger ever to get a base hit in the new Globe Life Field, but hasn’t been able to get another since doing that in game 1 of the season. Shin Soo-Choo has also struggled uncharacteristically, hitting just .077 on the year after hitting .263 at the plate over the past 3 seasons. Choo is mainly the DH, so as a veteran hitter, he is likely to pick up his hitting as the season progresses.
However, if Santana continues to struggle, don’t be surprised to see Scott Heineman thrown into the mix even more as he had a great summer training camp. He only saw his first real playing time against the Diamondbacks, but Heineman caught everyone’s eye before the season officially started. Expect him to see more time in the lineup in the near future in their upcoming series.
The Rangers are up against the Giants in San Francisco, so maybe getting into a new environment could help snap the team out of struggles they’ve faced. The Giants are 21st in the MLB in ERA and are in the bottom 3rd of the league in strikeouts.
The offense has obviously been the biggest blemish of the Rangers so far, but just 5 games into the season, Ranger fans can’t panic just yet. It’s a short season, but the Rangers still have time to get on track.
Featured Image: Henry Sandoval/Dallas Sports Nation
