Hey, wait a minute. If the Rangers are going to average thirteen and a half runs a game, why did they need to go out and acquire all that pitching? 

Dane Dunning, Dallas Keuchel, Kohei Arihar, Mike Foltynewics, Spencer Howard, and the rest of the retreads the Rangers picked off the scrap heap could have won with thirteen and a half runs of support each game. (Okay, not Spencer Howard, he would need about twenty-two runs of support).

Okay, okay. Nobody wants to go back to the Jon Daniels days. Maybe knowing the offense doesn’t have to score double digits every game anymore in order to win has freed it up to do just that.  

Whatever it is, Rangers fans are loving it. The Rangers jumped all over Phillies pitching for a second game in a row, clobbering them 16-3 in Nathan Eovaldi’s first win in a Texas uniform.

Mitch Garver has six RBIs. Robbie Grossman has five. Every Ranger has an OPS+ of well over 100, which is major league average, except for Josh Jung, who is here to learn. Lucky for Josh, he has a lot of qualified teachers surrounding him.

These are all video game numbers, of course, and they will level out. Mitch Garver will not continue to have an OPS of 2.600. Jonah Heim will not bat .500 all season. Adolis Garcia won’t finish the year near his .625 average.

But, it’s fun to see the Rangers 2-0. They haven’t been two games over .500 since August of 2019. It’s fun to see the Rangers offense clicking from top to bottom. It’s always fun when this happens at the beginning of the year because winning breeds confidence and confidence breeds winning. 

And the hitters know they don’t have to overcome guys like Jordan Lyles, Kolby Allard, Shelby Miller, Drew Smyly, Spencer Howard, and the rest of the retreads the Rangers picked off the scrap heap. 

Winning is better than losing.

*****