Corey Seager is out.

Mitch Garver is out.

Jacob deGrom left early because of an injury.

Jon Gray got knocked out of a game even earlier by a line drive.

Every excuse the Rangers could have made to extend their six-year run of futility they could make. Instead, what they extended was their solid start to the 2023 season.

With last night’s 12-3 mauling of the Royals that completed the sweep in Kansas City, the Texas Rangers are now 12-6, the only team in the A.L. West over .500, the second-best team in the American League (Tampa Bay started 13-0, so there’s that), and the team with the second-most runs scored in major league baseball (again, those Tampa Bays).

Marcus Semien is on a tear. Jonah Heim is on a tear. The Rangers bullpen is on a tear.

The Rangers are on pace to win 108 games. Yes, it helps playing Kansas City in six of their eighteen games, having won five of those. But they also swept the National League champion Phillies, and won two of three against the World Champion Astros.

Is it smoke and mirrors? Or is it having a manager in the dugout who has managed a major league game before? Or is Marcus Semien deciding to do his best impression of 2011 Mike Napoli and single-handedly carry the team on his shoulders?

Whatever it is, this is so much fun after so much heartache and pain.

As Tom Petty once said, “The waiting is the hardest part.” Rangers fans have waited a long time for a team like this.

A little gloating never hurt anyone.

*****