Unless they win 10 of their final 12 games, the Texas Rangers will become the first defending World Series champion to finish the season with a losing record since the 2014 Boston Red Sox went 71-91. It has been a slog of a season for the Rangers, one in which their offense failed them (surprisingly) and the pitching plan never came together (less surprisingly).
“It’s been talked about so much, how difficult it is to repeat,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said over the weekend (via MLB.com). “There’s been a number of reasons why we’re not where we want to be. Every season is different, it takes a life of its own, whether guys aren’t having their normal years or injuries. Our goal is to finish strong here.”
It is indeed difficult to repeat — the 1998-2000 New York Yankees are MLB’s last repeat champion — and the Rangers weren’t the best team in baseball last season, right? They’re the champions, no one is taking that away, but they had an up and down regular season and didn’t clinch a postseason berth until Game 161. The 2023 Rangers were the epitome of a “get in and get hot” team.
Back in February, our R.J. Anderson identified the Rangers as a 2023 postseason team likely to miss the playoffs in 2024. SportsLine gave Texas a 63% chance to make the postseason. FanGraphs was much less enthusiastic at 38%. The defending champs they are, but the Rangers had a roster with some obvious pitfalls, and bottom came out this summer.
Here’s a look at what went wrong for the defending World Series champions this year, and a preview of what could come next.
The master pitching plan never came together
Last Friday, two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom made his season debut following his second Tommy John surgery, and he looked like, well, Jacob deGrom. Overpowering, precise, unwavering. Like the best pitcher in the world, basically. And therein lies the problem: deGrom did not make his season debut until Sept. 13. The Rangers might — might — get 15 innings out of him in 2024.
It was no secret deGrom would not return until the second half of 2024 at the earliest. The Rangers also knew Max Scherzer would miss the first few weeks of the regular season after having back surgery in December. Despite that, they leaned further into the second-half reinforcements plan by signing Tyler Mahle a few days after Scherzer’s surgery. Mahle had Tommy John surgery last May and wasn’t expected to get back on a big-league mound until the middle of this season sometime.
“I think before the surgery, Tyler was really coming into his own, and a couple years ago he had a tremendous season,” Rangers GM Chris Young said after the Mahle signing (via MLB.com). “… We’re excited about where he is in his career with his age, the recovery he’s going to make, and the ability to hopefully help our team in the second half of this season and certainly in 2025 as a mid-rotation starter and with upside potential there.”
The Rangers were built to hang around the race in the first half, then make a run at the division title (or at least a wild-card spot) when deGrom, Mahle, and Scherzer were at full health. That never happened. Scherzer made his season debut on June 23, made eight starts, then landed back on the injured list with a shoulder issue in late July. Mahle made his season debut on Aug. 6 and lasted three starts before his shoulder acted up. deGrom has made just the one start so far.
|
Jacob deGrom |
1 |
3 2/3 |
0.00 |
1.09 |
4/0 |
0.2 |
|
Tyler Mahle |
3 |
12 2/3 |
4.97 |
1.42 |
2.50 |
0.0 |
|
Max Scherzer |
9 |
43 1/3 |
3.95 |
1.15 |
4.00 |
0.4 |
|
Total |
13 |
59 2/3 |
3.92 |
1.21 |
3.86 |
0.6 |
deGrom, Mahle, and Scherzer have been effective when they’ve pitched, for the most part. They just haven’t pitched often enough, or at least as often as the Rangers hoped. Add in Cody Bradford missing more than three months with a back injury, Nathan Eovaldi close to a month with a groin strain, and Jon Gray visiting the injured list three separate times with groin and foot injuries, and the Rangers simply did not have enough quality starters to stay in the postseason race.
The Rangers struggled with injured pitchers and underperformers on offense this season. The starting rotation was inadequate as injured pitchers failed to return to form, resulting in a lack of depth. On offense, the team went from a powerhouse to a feeble attack, with significant declines in runs per game and OPS+. Several key players, including Seager, Heim, García, and Taveras, did not meet expectations. The DH spot also saw a significant drop in production compared to the previous season. Additionally, injuries to players like Josh Jung further hampered the team’s offensive capabilities. The team will need to address these issues in the offseason to improve for the future.
Furthermore, top prospects Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford did not have the immediate impact many expected. Despite strong performances in the minors, both players struggled in their rookie seasons, falling short of their projected talent levels. Carter’s season was cut short by a back injury, adding to the disappointment of their debut seasons. Langford’s power has yet to fully manifest, as he has only hit 11 home runs in 150 team games, just one more than his total in 44 minor-league games last year. It’s important to note that the Rangers can’t solely rely on rookies like Carter and Langford to carry them to the postseason. While Langford has excelled defensively, his batting performance has been average at best.
Looking ahead, the Rangers recently secured Young with a contract extension, setting the stage for a focused effort to enhance the team for the 2025 season. With key players like deGrom, Seager, and Semien locked in for the long term, next year is poised to be a pivotal one for the Rangers. However, decisions loom regarding the future of players like Eovaldi, Yates, and Robertson, who have been solid contributors but are also aging. The bullpen, in particular, will require significant attention in the offseason.
Additionally, the Rangers must address the struggles of players like García and Heim, as well as determine the long-term outfield solution with Carter, Langford, and Smith. The team needs to understand why their lineup underperformed in 2024 and make the necessary adjustments to return to their winning ways. The potential of young talents like Carter, Jung, and Langford is promising, but maximizing their potential will be crucial for future success.
As the Rangers navigate these challenges, the development of players like Leiter and Rocker will also play a key role in their resurgence. Strengthening pitching depth, revitalizing the offense, and fostering the young core will be essential in elevating the Rangers back to playoff contention. Despite missing the postseason this year, the Rangers have a roster filled with potential, and raising their performance floor will be a top priority moving forward. following sentence:
The cat quickly ran across the street.
The cat swiftly darted across the street.