What a difference a year makes.

The Rangers went from having five starters elected to the All-Star Game to having zero. Then, Jose Altuve got injured (he sure seemed fine the last three games against the Rangers) and Marcus Semien took his place.

So, they have one now.

Semien was last year’s starting second baseman. He recently snapped out of a long, deep, two-month slump. He had one home run and just sixteen RBIs in that time. 

Last year’s starting shortstop, Corey Seager, didn’t make the team at first. He, too, recently made it because Carlos Correa is injured. Seager’s numbers are also way down compared to last year. But, in fairness, his numbers last year were astronomical. Still, he started slow because he missed spring training with a hernia injury. And, he’s spent some time on the I.L. 

Last year’s starting right fielder was Adolis Garcia. He, too, is suffering through a rough season, much rougher than Semien and Seager. Garcia is batting just .143 the last fourteen days with one home run and one RBI. The last twenty-eight days, he’s had four home runs and five RBIs. And twenty-five strikeouts. 

Johan Heim was the starting catcher in last year’s All-Star Game. This season, he is posting an OPS+ of just 83. He, too, has lost his ability to produce, having just two home runs and five RBIs the past twenty-eight games.

Then there’s Josh Jung. Those four games he played this year were pretty special. The past ninety-two games, he has missed. Hard to make an All-Star team based on four games.

It’s been a rough year for the Rangers. You can’t expect them to send five starters to the All-Star Game every year. That was what made last year so special. But you also don’t expect them to have such a significant drop off in talent from last year from so many players.

What a difference a year makes. And this year is only half-way done. 

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