Rangers 2022 Season Prediction: No More Last Place, 100-Loss Seasons?

After a record-spending offseason, the Texas Rangers are sure to be better in 2022. But how much better? Our staff weighs in...

It's that time of year again. Opening Day, the promise of a clean slate, is here. And for the Texas Rangers, after spending more money in one offseason than any team in baseball history, are ready to make 102-loss seasons a thing of the past.

But how exactly will the club finish? Will a revamped lineup catapult the offense's production? Will a young pitching staff begin to reach its potential?

Our staff at InsideTheRangers.com weighs in...

Chris Halicke

Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisHalicke

The additions of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien give the Rangers, at minimum, one of the five best middle infields in baseball, maybe even the very best. Kole Calhoun is a nice bat for the lineup if he stays healthy. Brad Miller could be a sneaky-good signing.

On the pitching side, I'm really curious to see how Jon Gray fares outside of the vigorous back-and-forth between Coors Field and—for lack of a better term—"normal" ballparks. Also, this is a crucial year for young starters like Dane Dunning and Taylor Hearn. Exciting prospects like Cole Winn, Jack Leiter, Owen White and Rick Vanasco will be making their way to Arlington sooner rather than later.

I believe the true key to the season lies on the shoulders of the younger players. The Rangers made a concerted effort to revamp the offense. Not only in the lineup, but in two praised hires: Donnie Ecker as bench coach and offensive coordinator and Tim Hyers as hitting coach. Can this duo help unlock the potential in guys like Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis García? If so, this lineup could become dangerous earlier than expected.

Either way, this team will be better. I just don't think we'll see a real push for the postseason just yet, and probably not even see this team pull off a 27-win swing like the Turnaround Gang did in 1974. I do, however, think this team is better than its 2019 counterpart, which won 78 games. I'll go with the same record since that 2019 team overachieved a little bit.

Prediction: 78-84, 4th place in American League West

Ben Ludeman / Courtesy of the Texas Rangers

Marcus Semien (left), Corey Seager (right)

Ben Ludeman / Courtesy of the Texas Rangers

Kole Calhoun

Ben Ludeman / Courtesy of the Texas Rangers

Brad Miller

Mike Fisher

Follow him on Twitter: @fishsports

Rangers fans should be pleased with 2022 edition … but not the roster so much as the organizational approach.

It was not that long ago when Rangers ownership pulled a scam on the team’s fans, grousing that it could not possibly complete with the likes of the Yankees because “we’re a small-market team in Arlington.” Too many fell for it, brainwashed into forgetting that this is really the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers, with a population base that dwarf the total of citizens in Arlington proper.

We’ve come a long way.

We are 50 years into this thing and we’ve got two confessions now;

1) The Rangers—having spent $500 million on an All-Star middle infield—are still pitching-poor.

2) The Rangers—having flex their budgetary muscles—just proved that they are not Podunk-poor.

Not losing 102 games again will mark improvement. but not pretending to be “poor” is a bigger improvement still.

Richie Whitt

Follow him on Twitter: @richiewhitt

I have two guarantees for the 2022 season: 

1. The Rangers won't lose 102 games

2. They won't score the fewest runs in the American League.

Not sure about a pitching staff with Jon Gray as the ace and a combo platter of Matt Bush-Greg Holland-Joe Barlow as the closer. But I am certain that ownership's half-a-billion investment in Corey Seager and Marcus Semien will provide more offensive excitement and fewer defeats.

Put me down for 74-88. Not great, but a big, positive step from 60-102.

Matthew Postins

Follow him on Twitter: @PostinsPostcard

Give the Rangers credit. They said they would spend money this offseason and they spent a lot of money this offseason. 

This will certainly be a more exciting team to watch at the plate, with the additions of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. But the pitching? No one in this rotation is going to scare opposing teams. The bullpen will be used a lot, and not just in creative 'opening' ways, either. But we know this going into the season. 

Signing Seager and Semien won't pay off on the field for another year or two as the Rangers work to prepare their young arms on the farm (namely Jack Leiter) for the majors. I could see this team making at least a 10-win jump from last year's 60 victories. 

So, let's project 72-90.

Ben Ludeman / Courtesy of the Texas Rangers

Jon Gray

Ben Ludeman / Courtesy of the Texas Rangers

Taylor Hearn

Ben Ludeman / Courtesy of the Texas Rangers

Martín Pérez

Timm Hamm

Follow him on Twitter: @IndyCarTim

After five consecutive losing seasons, Texas Rangers fans are thirsty for something different. And that’s due to happen soon. 

The Rangers spent $580.7 million on free agents—more than any other team in history in a single offseason—and ownership seems to have a new attitude too. While Texas won’t lose another 102 games this season, they’re not going to win 102 either. Look for something in-between. 

While the team will improve drastically on defense and at the plate, pitching is still an issue, even with the addition of Jon Gray. This is a team headed in the right direction, but a playoff appearance is still at least a couple of seasons away if everything goes right.

Prediction: 77-85, 4th in the AL West

Connor Zimmerlee

Follow him on Twitter: @ConnorJZ98

The 2021 Rangers finally committed fully to the rebuild that the team had needed for a few seasons. With the trade of Elvis Andrus in the offseason, it was evident that a new future was in store for the Rangers, who want to get back into the playoffs and become World Series contenders again.

However, the Rangers are truly a season or two away from being true contenders. Splashy offseason moves in signing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to bolster the middle infield will add wins but not enough to overcome the flaws in the roster. 

Yes, they signed Jon Gray, but the Rangers rotation still raises questions as they await the youth movement that will come in the near future. For now, the Rangers will be a fun team to watch that will make things interesting, but they aren’t quite ready for the playoffs just yet.

Prediction: 75-87