Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Texas Rangers Manager at Halfway Point: 'Excited About This Team'
The All-Star break is more than a week away. The Houston Astros are coming to town for a four-game series starting Friday.
But the Texas Rangers have played 81 games, the mid-point of a 162-game schedule. They’re in first place in the American League West and are sending at least four players to the All-Star Game.
The Rangers (49-32) are also 17 games over .500 and are now tied for the third-best start in franchise history after 81 games.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy isn’t getting ahead of himself, but he likes what he sees so far.
“You have to feel good about how they’ve played,” Bochy said after Thursday’s 8-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers. “It’s been fun to watch these guys. I didn’t have 50 (wins) on my mind today, I was just trying to win the ballgame, to be honest. Overall, you have to be excited about this team and how they’re playing. These guys have done a tremendous job. We’ve been through some things, injuries, some tough losses, but they’ve bounced back.”
Second baseman Marcus Semien, shortstop Corey Seager, third baseman Josh Jung and catcher Jonah Heim were all elected as All-Star Game starters Thursday. It’s likely that starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi will make the team, too. He and the Rangers will find out on Sunday.
It’s a reward for a team that underwent a makeover in the offseason, especially when it came to starting pitching. The Rangers signed three free-agent veterans for the rotation — Jacob deGrom, Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney.
While deGrom is out for the season after Tommy John surgery, Eovaldi has shined. He’s 9-3 with a 2.82 ERA and goes for his 10th win of the season Saturday. Heaney (5-5, 4.38) has been a solid No. 5 starter in the rotation.
Dane Dunning has been brilliant in deGrom’s place, as he’s gone 7-1 this season with a 2.69 ERA.
But the offense has been on par with some of the best batting orders in club history. The Rangers lead MLB in runs scored, runs scored per game, average with runners in scoring position and have scored 10 or more runs in 18 games this season.
The Rangers also have MLB’s best batting average.
Semien, Jung and Heim have been consistent forces in the order. Seager missed a month with a hamstring injury but didn’t miss a beat when he returned, as he’s hitting well above .300 and would have one of the American League’s best batting averages if he qualified.
Plus, outfielder Adolis García is one of the top home run hitters in baseball and on Wednesday hit his 20th home run. He has 20 or more home runs for the third straight season.
The bottom of the order has emerged to make the Rangers the deepest order in baseball. Seager’s injury allowed Ezequiel Duran consistent at-bats and he’s shown a blend of power and speed. Same goes for Leody Taveras, who regularly bats in the No. 9 spot and has a top 10 batting average in the AL.
Will Smith has emerged as the team’s closer after a rough start. The bullpen has been an up-and-down unit, but the Rangers are likely to explore trade options for the next month.
For now, Bochy is focused on Friday and the Astros.
“It’s going to be an exciting series,” Bochy said. “Two really good teams going at it and they’re the world champs. We’ve been playing good baseball. I’m sure they’re all looking forward to it.”
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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
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