Texas Rangers Make Surprising History En Route to Being in First Place in American League West

The Rangers enter play on Monday at 8-2 despite having a negative run differential.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 1. / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers won the World Series in 2023 before falling off considerably in 2024, missing the playoffs entirely.

However, at 8-2 to start the season, it seems like the Rangers might be back in the fold as real contenders in the American League once again.

However, when you look under the hood, you realize that there's a historical anomaly going on, per @JayHayKid of Underdog Fantasy.

The Rangers are the first team in MLB history to win 8 of their first 10 games of the season while having a negative run differential.

The Rangers are the first team in MLB history to win 8 of their first 10 games of the season while having a negative run differential.

— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) April 7, 2025

Thus far, the Rangers have scored 33 runs in 10 games while allowing 34. The pitching has been better than expected given the early-season injury to Jon Gray and the offseason departure of Max Scherzer. The entire American League West has a negative run differential, actually, with the Angels (-1), Astros (-9), Athletics (-21) and Mariners (-16) all having massive early-season questions to answer.

Texas will certainly be tested in its next series, which begins Monday at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Cubs enter the contest at 7-5 overall and in first place in the National League Central. First pitch of the series is set for 7:40 p.m. ET.

Cubs' lefty Justin Steele will be on the mound. He's 2-1 but sports a high 6.89 ERA. Veteran right-hander Nathan Eovaldi pitches for Texas. He's been excellent at the beginning of the year, going 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA. He is a former All-Star and leads the staff alongside Jacob deGrom.

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