Call to the pen
Fansided

Contenders or pretenders? Evaluating 5 MLB teams off to hot starts

By Justin Girshon

Jun 19, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim (28) hits a two-run single against the Chicago White Sox during the seventh inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim (28) hits a two-run single against the Chicago White Sox during the seventh inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
MLB news, Texas Rangers
May 30, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien (2) celebrates his run with teammates during the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

Texas Rangers

When the Texas Rangers signed Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Jon Gray for a combined $556 million before the 2022 season, it looked crazy, especially after Texas finished the season 68-94. In 2023, though, the Rangers have the third-best record in MLB and hold a 5.0-game lead in the AL West.

Part of the reason the Rangers quickly turned from one of the worst teams in the American League to the best is that the front office was undeterred from their big spending in the previous offseason. Signing Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney bolstered Texas’ starting rotation immensely — an area where the team struggled immensely in 2022.

Although deGrom is already out for the season and the majority of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery, Eovaldi has stepped up and pitched like a Cy Young pitching to the fifth-lowest qualified ERA (2.56). Behind Eovaldi, Heaney, Gray and Dane Dunning have pitched fine, but it’d be in Texas’ best interest to acquire another front-line starter at the trade deadline.

In addition to being in the market for another starter, the Rangers should definitely be in the market for a couple of relievers, as the 4.31 bullpen ERA is 22nd in MLB.

While their pitching needs to be shored up, the Rangers’ lineup can play with anybody. So far, Seager and Semien have been the best infield in MLB, Josh Jung is the odds-on favorite to win American League Rookie of the Year, Jonah Heim and Adolis Garcia are in the midst of establishing themselves as two of the best players at their respective positions, Leody Tavares and Ezequiel Duran are enjoying breakout seasons and Nathaniel Lowe has built off his breakout 2022 season.

On all cylinders, Texas’ lineup is clicking from top to bottom and, as long as its pitching staff keeps the game within reasonable reach, the lineup is more than capable of winning any given themself. If the Rangers bolster their pitching staff, look out for this team in October.

My verdict: Contender
Consensus vote: 80% contender, 20% pretender

Home/Arizona Diamondbacks