The Texas Rangers week was punctuated by brilliant Jacob deGrom starts. Jake has already mastered his new approach that uses more curveballs and relies less on raw power. The offense showed up in both of those games in support of Jake. In between those two games the Rangers played some of the most pathetic and lifeless baseball imaginable.
The run totals of the games Jake did not start: 1, 1, 0, 1, 1. Hilariously bad. This grotesque display of ineptitude prompted GM Chris Young to dismiss Offensive Coordinator Donnie Ecker. This is obviously a step in the right direction. The problem is the Texas Rangers are not the Dallas Cowboys, despite the listlessness. Firing an Offensive Coordinator in baseball means less and little. It is essentially a made up position. Hitting Coach Justin Viele remains employed but on the hot seat. Assistant Hitting Coach Seth Conner also remains employed. Neither deserve their job. Neither deserve to work in MLB ever again in any capacity. They are not fit to be Clubhouse Boys, nor was stooge Donnie Ecker.
Leody Taveres was waived on Sunday as well. The once top prospect has failed to develop minus his one flash in the pan year in 2023. The Rangers are starting to acknowledge the offensive problem, but the move is tepid and late. The Rangers need an established “name” guy, like Jason Giambi, to come in and set things straight. The second best hitter to ever live is out there, still in peak physical condition, ready to be employed as a hitting coach again. Barry Lamar Bonds understands hitting like no one else and coached in Miami about a decade ago. Savants of hitting are on the market. The Rangers boast a coaching roster full of guys who never played at the highest level. It is time to bring in Bonds or Giambi and quit playing pretend with these clueless scrub coaches.
The Rangers are continuing to freefall. They are rapidly losing their grip on the season. Without exceptional pitching, this team would be one of the worst in the AL.
Joc Pederson has an OPS+ of -1. Negative one. I did not even know you could have a negative OPS+ as a position player with over 50 plate appearances. Joc has been so bad he is breaking advanced metrics. He is also abominable by traditional metrics. He is batting .094. The numbers really do say it all. Negative one.
Marcus Semien has continued to “start slow.” He is a great example of the malaise that can consume a player when he has a guaranteed contract in hand. Marcus has checked out completely. He knows the Rangers are obligated to start him every day and cares less and little about dragging the team down.
Kevin Pillar cannot hit. He never could hit. Bruce Bochy has been hilariously starting him at leadoff throughout the season. Jake Burger got sent down to AAA. Adolis Garcia is still pressing.
The catchers are decent. Wyatt Langford, Josh Jung, Josh Smith, and Corey Seager have been good. The rest of the lineup has been awful. The Rangers could potentially go with Evan “The Little Savior” Carter to help bolster the lineup. He has been playing well at AAA. But the Rangers cannot rely on one person to save the offense. They need to start performing better from top to bottom.
The Rangers are at a crossroads. They are trying to find their flow after a terrible start to the season. They will play the Red Sox and Detroit Tigers next.
Upcoming Schedule – All Times Central
5/6 @Red Sox – 5:45 p.m.
5/7 @Red Sox – 5:45 p.m.
5/8 @Red Sox – 12:35 p.m.
5/9 @Tigers – 5:40 p.m.
5/10 @Tigers – 5:10 p.m.
5/11 @Tigers – 12:40 p.m.
