In the most frustrating of Rangers seasons, the most amazing July has arisen.

The Rangers are 15-6 in July, playing .714 baseball, 8-1 since the All-Star break, and a franchise-best 9-1 at home. Their previous best record at home in July was 8-2, accomplished in 2023. You might recall that season ending well.

The Rangers did what they had to do. They swept two struggling teams in a row, Sacramento and Atlanta. But that came off the heels of beating two first place teams in a row—Houston and Detroit—in three-game series. In doing so, they have now forced their way into a tie with Seattle for the third wild card slot.

Yesterday’s 8-1 win over Atlanta was about as close to the full lineup the Rangers had anticipated at the beginning of the season. Before the game, Joc Pederson was re-activated from the I.L. Except for Burger at first, these were the projected opening day regulars: Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter, and Adolis Garcia in the outfield. Josh Jung, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Josh Smith in the infield. Jonah Heim catching. Joc Pederson DHing. 

Every starter but Seager and Pederson got hits, with Smith picking up three. Langford hit a bases clearing three-run double in the first to jump start the game and the Ranger cruised from there, with Jack Leiter having another strong start: six innings, seven strikeouts, two hits, one run allowed. 

The team still has a glaring hole in that it cannot hit lefties. And, should the Rangers make the playoffs, you bet teams will take advantage of that. One player that might be made available in a trade is Luis Robert with the White Sox. His splits against lefthanded pitching is phenomenal: .294 average, .422 on base, .966 slugging. But his remaining salary would put the Rangers over their self-imposed salary cap. Also, his numbers against righties are dismal. Robert was on his was to an All-Star career his first four seasons but has hit a wall the last two. He’s the kind of player who would benefit from a change of scenery. If not him, though, the Rangers need to find him or someone like him who can hit lefties. 

So now, fresh off a sweep of Atlanta and with the best record in baseball after the break, Texas heads to Anaheim to take on the Angels, who are finally falling back down to Earth.

Let this incredible July continue.

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