World Series Fluke? Texas Rangers Sink to New Low

The defending champion Texas Rangers are ranked among the worst teams in the latest MLB.com Power Rankings.

Aug 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Rob Refsnyder (30) is congratulated after singling to center field to drive in the winning run against the Texas Rangers in the tenth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The alarm bells are ringing. The MLB world has noticed. And it isn’t pretty.

The Texas Rangers are among the worst clubs in baseball. Yes, the defending World Series champions are dwelling in the proverbial cellar.

The latest Power Rankings from MLB.com place the Rangers at No. 22 among the 30 teams. That’s the lowest point for Texas this season.

When the Rangers won the World Series last year, it didn’t seem like some sort of out-of-nowhere thing: They had a ton of young talent, spent smartly to improve the roster and seemed to have a solid foundation. But now that they’re eight games under .500, it should be noted that, if they can’t get over .500 by season’s end, they’ll have notched only one winning season since 2016: last year, when they won that World Series.

- MLB.com

The championship is seemingly more of an anomaly than the Rangers turning the corner to be considered among the top franchises in baseball. Is the Texas title a fluke?

There is still plenty of time to turn it around and make a run at the division title, which is the best bet for the Rangers to reach the playoffs. The Wild Card route appears out of reach.

The two teams the Rangers are trying to catch in the American League West are considerably higher on the list. The streaking Houston Astros – once left for dead early this season – are ranked No. 11. The Seattle Mariners check in at No. 12.

As for the rest of the AL West, the Oakland Athletics fall in at No. 26 and Los Angeles Angels are No. 27.

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