Opening Day for Your Texas Rangers!

It is finally here, Opening Day for your Texas Rangers!

It has been one of the most interesting off-season’s since the beginning of the 2023 season, and while the Rangers have not made the big purchases with free agents there are plenty of changes in store for the roster.

To review the 2024 season, the team finished 21st in batting average, 18th in runs scored, 24th in ERA, and 21st in WHIP allowing the team to finish with a meager 78 wins, and in 3rd place in the AL West.

The team this season certainly comes in with big question marks, but many sportswriters predict the team to win the division. The betting odds predict between 85-87 wins, but as everyone knows 90 wins is really the magic number.

What has to happen right for the team? Health, Health, and a lot more Health!

Josh Jung and Corey Seager are the primary hitters that have to carry this team. Sure, there are some nice additions in Jake Burger and Joc Pederson, which appear to be upgrades. Semien and Garcia need to have bounce back years, and Leody Taveras must do more than play defense. Finally, no good team is advancing without outstanding catching. Jonah Heim must be better, and Kyle Higashioka needs to provide some pop while helping manage the workload. Everyone believes this team will be better offensively, and with a little more pop in the lineup that should help. Most are making comparisons with the 2023 squad, with regard to hitting the ball. Wyatt Langford, shows every sign of being a truly special player.

The entire bullpen is all new. There are a good mix of veterans so there is every reason to see that group improve. There is no true closer, but other teams have succeeded without that and who knows what might happen with a trade later.

My early concern is about the starting rotation. Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle are both coming off injuries, Jon Gray is out for at least 2 months, and most likely 3-4. Corey Bradford is already hurt too, and that bears watching. Thankfully, Nathan Eovaldi will be back to anchor the rotation because there is no reason to trust any of this group can get through an entire season. The addition of Patrick Corbin was a smart move because he could easily be a Colby Lewis and eat innings. Meanwhile, the team will have to trust Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter to fill up some space with possibly a couple of long relief guys. Rocker has been erratic this spring but Leiter has shown some flashes and is not terrible for a fifth starter.

The reality is that Eovaldi and deGrom at the front of any rotation makes this staff formidable. Mahle is a solid #3, an innings eater with Corbin and the two rookies to provide depth gives reason to be excited, again provided the key players stay healthy.

The team cut Dane Dunning, and Evan Carter still can’t hit against left-handed pitching so they will start the season in the minors.

This is a very good team, with great potential. The health situation is a huge risk but to some degree every team has that issue. If the team can get 60 quality starts from Eovaldi, Mahle and deGrom they will win the division in my view. The goal would be to get 130+ innings from each of these guys.

Last season I was off on the win total of 84 wins, because we expected the calvary to arrive and it never happened because of too many injuries. However, even in spring training it was apparent things were not right in 2024.

This season I see a team with a few holes, but it does not seem that the Astros or Mariners improved very much, the Angels and A’s will be slightly better though, but this creates a better opportunity for the Rangers. Getting off to a fast start for the 162-game marathon would be best, but the schedule is tough the first couple of months as only a few opponents are not expected to be contenders. Every year I say the same thing, you do not win a division in April and May but you can lose one. Last year by the end of May everyone knew it was not the Rangers year.

This year I am all in with 91 wins, I think this team will hit the baseball and pound some pitching staffs into submission. Further, I predict they win the AL West. Let’s tap the brakes on playoff expectations and revaluate that mid-season. There are 5 or 6 potential All-Stars on this team, and those guys will make the difference.