The Texas Rangers have been one of the best teams in baseball for the majority of the season.
They fooled everyone, even themselves.
April through July, they were unstoppable.
They began August with 8 straight wins, but then things went south. WAY south.
If the Rangers went any further south, they would be headed north again.
The offense has been non-existent, the rotation has been mediocre at best, and the bullpen is the worst in baseball, and it’s not even close.
The Houston Astros came into town for what was supposed to be an epic showdown. It has not been.
The Astros have outscored the Rangers so far 27-7 in the first two games. The only Rangers pitcher not to give up at least one run in the two games is catcher Austin Hedges. That is not a joke.
The bullpen gave up 20 of those 27 runs. Jose Altuve seems to be enjoying batting practice for sure.
There is no hope for recovery. No one is ready to pitch in the majors right now at Round Rock or Frisco. Not that it will make a difference.
This team should now be in off-season mode.
Who can they bring in in 2024 to help improve a team that is on the brink of disaster, even with a massive payroll?
With Jacob deGrom out for most of 2024 and the rotation one more injury away from being a bad rotation, the Rangers have some work to do. And they need an entirely new bullpen.
The candidates can come internally for 2024. Guys like Cole Winn, Chase Lee, Jake Latz, Cody Bradford, Owen White, and more could potentially help what is currently a dumpster fire.
While it has been challenging to watch as a fan of the team, they still had a better year than I predicted at the start. I had them with 75 wins on the season, and they have already surpassed that.
If we consider where the Rangers were in the past 6 seasons and where they are now, they are close. They are just not there yet.
One more embarrassing game to go against the Astros, and then they take on the Athletics in Arlington. If they are swept in that series, well…
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