Texas Rangers Need to Get These Big Bats Going to Make Playoff Run

The power supplied by Corey Seager and Josh Jung could jumpstart the Texas Rangers offense, as well as another playoff run.

Oct 4, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) high fives shortstop Corey Seager (5) after scoring a run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the sixth inning during game two of the Wildcard series for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas Rangers scored only twice in losing the series finale (and series) to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. While another meager offensive output is concerning, those two runs might be something to build around.

And for a club in another slump, they’ll take anything positive.

Both times the Rangers crossed the plate in the 7-2 setback were via the long ball. Those solo shots also came from players who will be critical in carrying the load if the defending World Series make another October run – Corey Seager and Josh Jung.

It doesn’t feel feasible right now, especially since the Rangers have dropped seven of nine since a five-game winning streak vaulted Texas back in the American League West race. But should the Rangers get hot again, they could easily make up ground on the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners.

Seager connected on a first-pitch solo home run in the bottom of the first inning to give Texas an early 1-0 lead. It marked his third homer in the three-game Boston series after going deep twice in Friday’s opener.

The star shortstop leads the club with 22 homers, which is tied for the fourth-most in his career. Seager had 33 last season and 2022, 26 in 2016 and also 22 in 2017. Nine of his dingers have come on 0-0 counts, which is tied for the most first-pitch home runs in MLB this season with the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge.

The Rangers had been desperately waiting on Jung to return from injury to provide more pop in the lineup. The third baseman extended the Rangers’ lead to 2-0 in the second on Sunday after belting a solo home run to left field.

It was his first homer since April 1 after missing 102 games during a 60-day injured list stint (right hand fracture) before being activated last week. Jung added a double in the seventh, as six of his 11 hits this season have gone for extra bases. Jung has hits in three of five games since his return.

The Rangers could obviously use others to step up during this offensive malaise – Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia, Nathaniel Lowe, among others – but getting Seager and Jung going would help jumpstart things if another playoff run is in the cards.

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