The Texas Rangers came into this season with uncertain expectations. Despite their major signings two offseasons ago, including Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, they struggled to a 68-94 record in 2022. That made it clear that the rebuild still needed time to come together fully. This past offseason, they continued their big spending by signing Jacob deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal. While this boosted expectations for 2023, it was still unclear whether Texas could make the jump to postseason contention so quickly. Early on, however, the Rangers are off to a surprising 14-10 start, good for first place in the AL West. Despite being swept by the Cincinnati Reds in their most recent series, they still sit atop their division.
There are multiple reasons for Texas’ early strength. These include a potent offense, dominance from deGrom, and the leadership of Bruce Bochy. Let’s take a deeper dive into the secrets of the Rangers’ success.
Behind the Rangers’ Surprising Start
Offense Putting Up Crooked Numbers
After last year’s major acquisitions, Semien and Seager, did little to move the Rangers closer to playoff contention, the lineup as a whole has been their strongest asset in 2023. Texas has put up crooked numbers several times this year, scoring 10 or more runs in six different games. Both their total of 154 runs scored and their run differential of +56 rank second in MLB behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
Semien, for his part, is becoming a key contributor to this potent lineup. In 24 games, he is hitting .278 with five homers, 22 RBI, and a .829 OPS. Seager, an All-Star last year, is looking to put up similarly strong numbers in 2023. However, a hamstring injury has limited him to only 11 games so far. The Rangers’ best hitter so far is Adolis Garcia. Through 23 games, he has seven homers, 29 RBI, and a .538 slugging percentage. The highlight of Garcia’s year so far was a three-homer, two-double game on Saturday against the Oakland Athletics.
Adolis García had a game for the history books last night! pic.twitter.com/9cz4yGWC24
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) April 23, 2023
With other contributors such as Nathaniel Lowe and Jonah Heim supporting the big boppers, the lineup is a legitimate threat and arguably the main reason for the Rangers’ strong start.
deGrom Shutting Teams Down
The Rangers took a bit of a gamble signing deGrom to such a large contract. In his final years with the New York Mets, he was brilliant when healthy but struggled enormously with injuries. So far, though, Texas has gotten the ace they paid for. Although deGrom was pulled early from a recent start with a sore right wrist, he has not missed any starts yet. And in those starts, he’s been the deGrom of old. He is 2-0 through five starts with a 3.04 ERA, 43 strikeouts against only three walks, and a 1.41 FIP. The ERA is a bit higher than his best years, but the other numbers jump off the page. If he can stay healthy and continue to dominate on the mound, he will remain the backbone of the Texas rotation for the foreseeable future.
Bochy’s Comeback Brings Winning Culture
Things got so bad in Arlington last summer that the Rangers fired manager Chris Woodward midseason. Looking for a new direction in the offseason, they ironically brought in someone from the old guard. Three-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy came out of retirement after three years to become Texas’ new manager. After so much success with the San Francisco Giants, the logic seemed to be that Bochy could bring a winning culture back to Arlington after a few down years.
So far, the move has paid off. The team is playing with more confidence and ability than they’ve displayed in recent seasons. If they make the postseason, having an experienced manager like Bochy could pay huge dividends. He got the job done time after time in San Francisco, and if he can have the team playing confidently come October, they have the potential to make a run.
Their biggest worry throughout the season will likely be the Houston Astros, the powerhouse of the AL West for the last decade. It will be a challenge holding them off for the division title, and if they meet in October, an all-Texas series would potentially offer some major fireworks. Texas’ matchups against Houston should provide a reliable measuring stick for where the team stands. The Rangers’ surprising start is offering early hope for the team and its fans. If Bochy’s presence continues to instill confidence and the roster keeps learning to win, look for Texas to make some noise in the AL West and perhaps beyond.
Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Players Mentioned: Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Jacob deGrom, Adolis Garcia, Nathaniel Lowe, Jonah Heim
Managers Mentioned: Bruce Bochy, Chris Woodward
