We all know that everything is bigger in Texas and that remains true in 2023 as the Rangers are set to face off with the Astros to determine an American League Champion.
For Texas, it’ll be a fierce showdown with Houston, something that they know all too well. The Rangers and Astros have faced off 80 times in the last five seasons.
Quite frankly, those meetings have been much of a picture to burn for Rangers fans. Texas has a record of 25-55 in those 80 games.
However, this is different, for the first time ever the two teams will meet in the playoffs in a series that some would call The Great War.
There is no doubt there is some bad blood between these two teams after the incident this summer in Space City which included a benches-clearing braw and Marcus Semien hushing Martin Maldonado. Safe to say that we could see some sparks fly in this series.
If you flashed back to December when the Rangers signed Jacob deGrom, you might think the Texas pitching staff would look a little bit different coming into this series. However, the Rangers’ pitching has been lights out this postseason.
So far this postseason, Rangers pitching is tied for second amongst playoff teams with a 2.20 ERA. That has come in large parts due to performances from Nathan Eovaldi, and Jordan Montgomery which most Ranger fans would tell you have been from their wildest dreams.
Bruce Bochy would no doubt be enchanted to get starters Max Scherzer and Jon Gray back for this series to help lengthen the rotation. We’ve all seen the bullpens and workouts that Scherzer has been doing these past few weeks and there is a good chance that he is on the ALCS roster when it comes out on Sunday.
As for the series itself, it’s tough to speak now on who will win but it’s looking to be a toss up. On one side you’ve got the Astros who have been able to run right through Texas for the last six years and on the other side you’ve got the Rangers who have been the most complete team in all of baseball this October.
Ultimately, I think it’s the Rangers who win this series in six games and ride their getaway car to the World Series but it won’t come without a fight.
No matter what happens, a Texas team will be in the World Series but for DFW, they’re hoping the Rangers can find their electric touch and advance to their first fall classic since 2011.
