Rangers are tied for first in the AL West but are they really contenders?

The scorching hot Texas Rangers got cooled off on a scorching Wednesday afternoon at Progressive Field. Yet it could not dampen the enthusiasm built by an outstanding road trip.

The Rangers lost to the Cleveland Guardians 9-4 to end their six-game winning streak. Nevertheless, Texas went 7-3 on a swing through Miami, Toronto, and Cleveland.

The Rangers are now tied for first place in the American League West with the Seattle Mariners, albeit with a lackluster 44-43 record. Yet the Rangers feel they are ascending as they return to Arlington on Thursday night to play the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a nine-game homestand that leads into the All-Star break.

“We have an opportunity (to win the division) in front of us,” Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka told FanSided. “We’re playing our best baseball of the season right now. We need to keep playing good baseball and let the chips fall where they may.”

Injuries make Rangers hard team to project

Where those chips land is anyone’s guess, and that seems to be the prevalent thought around the Rangers. As one person with the team said, “It seems weird to say we’re in first place, but every team in the division has issues, and we’re right there with them. We could finish first, or we could finish fourth.”

The Rangers are missing one-third of their starting lineup. Two key players landed on the injured list this week in shortstop Corey Seager (lower back inflammation) and outfielder Wyatt Langford (left hamstring strain), while catcher Danny Jansen (strained right forearm) has been sidelined for a month. Right fielder Brandon Nimmo has missed the last three games with a shoulder injury but is expected to avoid the IL.

Seager landing on the IL is particularly problematic because it is beginning to look like his back problems are chronic, and he is only midway through his 10-year, $325-million contract that runs through 2031.

Yet first-year Rangers manager Skip Schmaker is pleased with how his team has handled the injuries.

“They could have looked around the room and seen the big guys hurt and felt sorry for themselves, but instead they kind of flipped the script,” Schumaker said. “I ask for relentless competitive effort every day. You can’t teach a skill until you’ve put in the effort, and we’ve put in the effort. That’s all you can ask for.

“The coaches have done a really good job preparing this year; the farm system has done a really good job; and the front office has done a really good job acquiring guys who can help us fill in the gaps until everyone’s healthy.”

Rotation gives Rangers a chance

The Rangers are 24th in the major leagues in runs scored with an average of 4.07 a game and it seems imperative that president of baseball operations Chris Young acquire a big bat before the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3. Yet Texas is 11th in ERA with a 3.99 ERA and Shumaker believes the Rangers’ starting rotation, which includes two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, is good enough to keep his team in the pennant race.

“Our starting pitching has really started to solidify, especially on this trip, and I think that’s the rotation we thought we were going to get back in spring training,” Schumaker said. “Because of that. It’s allowed us to sustain winning games. The momentum always starts and ends with starting pitching.  When the starters are going well, then we are going well.”

De Grom, Nathan Eovaldi, Kumar Rocker, and left-hander MacKenzie Gore all give the Rangers a chance to win just about any game, and the rotation will be strengthened when Jack Leiter returns after having arthroscopic right ankle surgery on June 23.

Yet it seems fair to question the Rangers’ ability to stay in the race for the long haul. They are missing significant players from the lineup. Despite having 18 saves and a 1.71 ERA in 33 games, closer Jacob Latz is largely anonymous, as is the rest of the bullpen.

Schumaker, the National League Manager of the Year in 2023 when he improbably led the Miami Marlins to the postseason, believes in a team whose 15-11 record in June was the  best in a watered-down AL.

“Baseball doesn’t stop for anyone,” Schumaker said. “These guys have a willingness to win. Of course, we want Corey, Wyatt, and Brandon in our lineup. We have some good guys who aren’t playing right now, and there’s no question that we want them back in the lineup. These are team wins, and it’s not surprising to me how this group has come together in the last month.”

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