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Texas Rangers: The franchise all-time bracket

By Bill Felber

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 24: A Texas Rangers batting helmet in the dugout before a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 24, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Rangers defeated the Yankees 8-1. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 24: A Texas Rangers batting helmet in the dugout before a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 24, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Rangers defeated the Yankees 8-1. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) /

Texas Rangers: The All-Time Bracket

No. 4 vs. 5 seed

The 2012 Rangers finished second behind Oakland in the AL  West, then lost the wild card game to Baltimore 5-1. Again, Beltre was the focal point. He batted .321 with 36 home runs and 102 RBIs. Hamilton rebounded to .285, 43-128, and catcher Mike Napoli added 24 home runs.

Yu Darvish, a rookie import from Japan, produced a 16-9 record while Matt  Harrison was 18-11.  Harrison’s 3.29 ERA led the regulars.

The 1996 Rangers were the first Texas team to play a post-season game. They finished four and one-half games ahead of Seattle in the AL West before losing their division series to the New York Yankees in four games.

Hall of Fame catcher-to-be Ivan Rodriguez led both at bat and behind the plate. Rodriguez hit .300 with 86 RBIs. But the Rangers were loaded with run producers: third baseman Dean Palmer, outfielder Rusty Greer, and outfielder Juan Gonzalez all topped 100 RBIs, Gonzalez producing 144 thanks in large measure to 47 home runs. For that plus his .314 batting average, he was voted the American League’s Most Valuable Player for the first of two times.

This Rangers team, too, lacked pitching. Ken Hill was 16-10, but his 3.63 ERA was the only one below 4.50 among the staff regulars.

Related Story. Boston Red Sox: The franchise all-time bracket. light

Game 1: The 2012 team was 93-69 .574. The 1996 team won its division with three fewer victories and a .556 percentage.

Game 2: Neither team won a post-season series, but at least the 1996 club managed to win a game. Its .200 post-season percentage is good enough to square the series at a game each.

Game 3: The 1996 Rangers had a 103 OPS+. The 2012 team, led by Beltre, got to 105.

Game 4: In 1996 the Rangers pitchers somehow produced a 113 staff ERA+, four points better than 2012’s 109. This series is tied at two games each.

Game 5: The 2012 club had a 45.0 WAR. But Gonzalez and Rodriguez led the 1996 Rangers to a 50.6 WAR, five and one-half points better.

Game 6: The 1996 Rangers fielded .986, four points above the league average that season. The 2012 team also fielded .986, but that was only two points above the league average.

Result: 1996 in six games

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