This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat publication. To learn the complete publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it usually in your inbox.
The Rangers capped off their sixth straight shedding season final week, ending 68-94, good for fourth place within the American League West as the highest two finishers within the division — the Astros and Mariners — face one another within the AL Division Collection.
Normal supervisor Chris Younger mentioned the eight-win enchancment from 2021 to ‘22 was about half of what the interior expectations have been coming into this season. Younger has persistently emphasised that the entrance workplace didn’t anticipate the Rangers to go from worst to first within the AL West in a single offseason, but it surely’s clear they underachieved.
The firings of supervisor Chris Woodward and president of baseball operations Jon Daniels
This may occasionally appear apparent, however the week of firings in mid-August signaled to everyone inside and outdoors the group that the Rangers are bored with shedding. Proprietor and managing associate Ray Davis mentioned as a lot in a press convention on Aug. 12 and Younger echoed the sentiment at his end-of-season presser.
The Rangers have a strong offensive core to work with and construct round
Corey Seager and Marcus Semien have been introduced in for this precise motive, and while you add in that each Nathaniel Lowe (extra on him later) and Adolis García continued to take steps ahead, the Rangers might doubtlessly solidify the highest half of the lineup for the foreseeable future.
Ultimate slash traces for the primary 4 spots within the Rangers’ lineup
Texas is little doubt in want of one other strong, middle-of-the-order bat heading into 2023, however the crew has a strong basis to work with down the road.
Lowe being a legit offensive risk
Lowe entered 2022 needing to show he might be a long-term piece of the Rangers’ future infield alongside Seager, Semien and high prospect Josh Jung. He did that and extra.
Lowe led all certified Rangers hitters in batting common (.302) and OPS (.850) and have become the primary certified Texas batter to bat over .300 since Elvis Andrus (.302) and Adrián Beltré (.300) each did it in 2016. Lowe’s growth offers the Rangers one fewer query mark as they head into 2023 and the journey again into rivalry continues.
Pitching, pitching, pitching
It isn’t a shock, contemplating the Rangers parted methods with pitching coach Doug Mathis late final week. There’s little doubt the few brilliant spots weren’t sufficient to maintain the pitching workers afloat.
The Rangers completed twenty second in MLB with a 4.22 crew ERA this season, solely a slight enchancment from twenty third (4.79 ERA) in 2021. Outdoors of Martín Pérez (2.89 ERA) and Jon Grey (3.96), no different Rangers starter had an ERA below 4.00. Texas relievers ranked twelfth in MLB in ERA (3.72) and twenty second in BB/9 (3.70).
The Rangers’ Opening Day outfield consisted of García, Kole Calhoun and Brad Miller. Come August, it wasn’t stunning to see an outfield configuration of Leody Taveras, Bubba Thompson and Josh Smith — two rookies and a second-year participant in Taveras.
Thompson thrived after his callup, ending the season with a .265 common and 18 stolen bases in 55 video games. Taveras slashed .261/.309/.366 however was working via a hunch because the season got here to an finish, whereas Smith proved to be an strong utilityman off the bench.
There’s no telling if Taveras and Thompson are actually the cornerstone outfielders to play alongside García, however they’ve put themselves on the frontlines of the competitors heading into 2023.
It might have been Lowe if not for his protection, which has improved however continues to be effectively under common. Semien additionally performed like an MVP candidate from June on and led the crew in bWAR (5.7). However the true Rangers MVP was little doubt Pérez.
Pérez had a profession 12 months in his second stint with the Rangers. He posted a career-best 2.89 ERA over 196 1/3 innings, ending 2 1/3 innings shy of his profession excessive in 2016 (198 2/3) and one win shy of his profession finest in ‘17 (13). He additionally logged a private finest in strikeouts (169). He carried the pitching workers by persistently going deep into video games and delivered 23 high quality begins.
