Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers Seeking First Franchise World Series
The Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers enter the postseason without a World Series championship in the history of their franchises.
While the Chicago Cubs seek their first World Series title in over 100 years, a pair of teams bound for the postseason are seeking a championship for reasons of their own. Both the Texas Rangers and the Washington Nationals are fighting for their first franchise World Series ring.
Third Time’s the Charm
Since 2012, the Nationals finished in the top three of the NL East and reached the NLDS twice. However, they were sent home empty handed after losing to the San Francisco Giants in 2012 and St. Louis Cardinals in 2014.
Their productive offense and strong pitching staff were the keystones in their 2016 campaign. In particular, Max Scherzer and Tanner Roark led Washington in wins, strikeouts and ERA. Pitching his second 20-plus win season, Scherzer struck out a career-high 284 batters. Roark went 16-10 with a team-low 2.83 ERA. Furthermore, Mark Melancon locked down 47 saves with a 1.64 ERA. He trailed Kenley Jansen, Zach Britton and Jeurys Familia for the most saves in the regular season.
Fueling the Nationals bats to ninth in runs and RBI was the phenomenal hitting of Daniel Murphy. Murphy finished the season atop nearly all of the Nationals’ major offensive categories. To name a few, he batted .347 with hit 25 home runs, 104 RBI and 184 hits.
Also, their on-field performance showed the same level of excellence as their pitching and hitting. The Nationals were the second-least errant team in the Major Leagues, committing only 73 errors.
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District on Deck
The injuries of key players is the main concern for the Nationals heading into the postseason. In addition to Wilson Ramos, Jayson Werth and Michael Taylor, Stephen Strasburg hit the disabled list in early September.
Due to his second torn ACL, Ramos has been on the disabled list since Sept. 27. Ramos’ .307 batting average and 22 home runs will be missed by the Nationals, especially in the postseason.
Back tightness kept Werth out of the lineup against the Marlins, but he is expected to be ready for the postseason. Aside from his .244 batting average, Werth hit 21 home runs and scored 84 runs in 2016.
Washington’s most recent stroke of misfortune came when an attempted steal went wrong on Oct. 1. Taylor’s headfirst slide into second base came at the cost of his thumb and it is uncertain when he will return. Before his injury, Taylor was 5-for-8 with two RBI through his last three games.
Pitching his way to 15-4 and a 3.60 ERA, the Nationals will be left to fend without Stephen Strasburg in the NLDS. Strasburg was sent to the disabled list on Sept. 7 with a strained flexor mass located in his right arm.
Rangers Right at Home
For the first time in the franchise history, the Rangers clinched the best record in the American League. Although they lost in extra innings to end the season, they head into the playoffs with a 95-67 record. During the season, the Rangers never relinquished first place by any more than 2.5 games.
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The story of the Rangers’ quest for their first World Series ring is a miserable one. Two years in a row they entered the Fall Classic as the favored team. However, they lost to the Giants in 2010 and the Cardinals in 2011 in the NLDS.
The Rangers’ strongest asset is their dangerously powerful offense. Texas brags five batters with 20-plus home runs. In fact, Adrian Beltre and Rougned Odor hit over 30. Both Elvis Andrus and Beltre batted over .300 and the Rangers’ .262 batting average was the fifth highest in the Majors. Likewise, Odor leads his club with a career-high 33 home runs. Carlos Gomez proved to be the best midseason pickup by the Rangers. With Texas, Gomez hit .289 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs.
Not only did the Rangers clinch home field advantage through the first two rounds, but the AL’s victory in the All-Star Game ensures the same if they reach the World Series.
Behind the stellar pitching of Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels is a rotation that is faulty at best. The Rangers’ No. 4 and 5 starters, Colby Lewis and Martin Perez, had their fair share of struggles in 2016. Lewis finished the season 6-5, but was 0-4 in the second half. Similarly, Perez went 10-11 with a 4.37 ERA, but stumbled in the second half and was 3-6 with a 5.01 ERA.
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With the offseason exit of Yovani Gallardo, who won Game 1 in the 2015 ALDS, the Rangers hope their lower-tier starters will be enough to support Darvish and Hamels. Meanwhile, the Nationals will have to face two teams to get to the Fall Classic with key players off the roster. Time will tell if these teams can bring home their first World Series championships in franchise history.