There are thirty teams in major league baseball. The Rangers outfield rakes twenty-ninth in offense.
That should come as no surprise. Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter have pretty much occupied left field this year. Both are what could be considered rookie busts. Taveras has pretty much occupied center. He is proving last year was a fluke and he is the below average major league hitter he has always been. Adolis Garcia is just having a bad year.
Nathaniel Lowe and Jonah Heim have reverted back to form, also showing their 2023 performance was the aberration and not the norm.
The Rangers simply do not have enough offense. Only three hitters can reasonably be expected to get a hit: Semien, Seager, and Smith. Langford on occasion. That’s it.
Last night, down two heading into the top of the ninth, Seager led off with an out. Josh Smith walked. Adolis Garcia was up with a chance to tie the game.
Last year, that would have been cause to put fear in the opposing pitcher. Last year, the opposing manager wold have downed a bottle of Pepto Bismol. Last year, you would have stopped what you were doing and watched, anticipating a game-tying home run.
This year?
You expect him to strike out. He popped up.
That left it up to the rookie Wyatt Langford. He did what most rookies do. Left the runner on base.
The Rangers lost again to Milwaukee, 3-1. The offense was, once again, unable to generate anything at all. But it’s not suprising. Texas has three players with an OPS+ over 100, the aforementioned Smith (149), Seager (123), and Semien (105). Last year, they had twelve players. In 2022, for.
Last year, it seems, was the career year for most Rangers. This year they are back to normal.
The Rangers failed to address their offense in the offseason, and now they are paying for it. They were blinded by 2023.
The reality is, that was a mirage. We were all blinded by the shiny World Series rings.
This team had a lot of holes to fill on offense. This team still has a lot of holes to fill on offense. Too many to solve at the trade deadline.
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TODAY’S GAME: