Even though it’s way past the 81-game mark, the first half of the season is over.
The Rangers ended it on a high note, winning seven of their last nine. What looked like a disastrous season is suddenly looking like a confusing season.
What are these Rangers? Are they good enough to make a playoff run? Are they going to realize they aren’t? Are the going to go for it? Are they going to sell off prime assets and build for next year?
After winning seven of nine, the Rangers are currently 7.5 games out of the third wild card spot.
On July 1, they were nine games under .500 and eight games out of the third wild card spot. One June 17, they were six games under .500 and 6.5 games out.
Win or lose, they are just treading water. That’s because it’s not just how many games away they are, it’s how many teams are in front of them. There are four, five, sometimes six, teams in front of them. For the Rangers to gain ground, they have to hope all five teams lose the same night. That’s almost mathematically impossible, especially considering some of these teams play one another.
So, it means the only way the Rangers have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs is winning the A.L. West. It’s the weakest of the six divisions. Seattle is leading but Seattle is Seattle and Seattle will always be Seattle and that means Seattle will cough up the lead very soon. Currently they lead Houston by one game and play Houston three games right after the All-Star break.
So, for the Rangers to gain any ground, they have to win and win and win and win. And then hope that both Houston and Seattle lose and lose and lose and lose.
Well, both teams can’t lose when they are playing one another.
The Rangers were one-half-game behind Houston on June 21. Today, they are four games back.
They are winning yet losing ground. That’s what digging themselves into such a huge hole looks like. And that’s how hard it is to dig themselves out of it.
The first half is over. The Rangers chances for the playoffs, while not over, are really on life support.
