There is a distinct vibe and atmosphere in Arlington as the equipment trucks depart for Surprise, Arizona, following the team’s first World Series victory. The Texas Rangers are the team to beat, for once.
But heading into Spring Training, the Rangers could face some old demons and even black skies as injuries to important players and a loaded payroll have cast doubt on their chances of winning the 2024 pennant. The intention is to win the title again, although there are concerns about the roster after the summer.
After a more challenging than anticipated winter, the Rangers have a lot to hope for this upcoming spring, but they also have a long list of problems to try and resolve due to a wave of injuries and an ever-elusive fully developed pitching staff.
The Virtuous
The majority of Texas’ lineup is still in place. Strong first baseman Nathaniel Lowe has won a Silver Slugger award, and last summer’s All-Star game saw starting lineups from Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Jonah Heim, Adolis Garcia, and Josh Jung.
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The hitters are all primed and ready to remind fans of the fact that the Texas offense was tops in baseball for most of 2023. Texas finished a hair behind the powerhouse Atlanta Braves in the Majors, with a team slash line of .276/.344/.501. They led the American League in hits at 1470, runs at 881, RBI at 845, walks with 599 and total bases at 2531. A lot of their damage was done in the early half of the season, including an unfathomable run in May with a slash of .286/.341/.456.
Mitch Garver, the Rangers’ designated hitter/catcher, is no more, but they can look forward to a full season of rookie sensation Evan Carter. After making his debut in September, Carter participated in 23 regular season games and batted.306/.413./.645 with five home runs and twelve RBI. He was only 21 years old.
Carter was unfazed by the spotlight in his first-ever postseason, setting a Major League record by reaching base in each of Texas’ first 17 postseason games and setting a record for the most doubles in a single playoffs with nine. Carter, who finished third in the lineup in the Rangers’ World Series-clinching game, will start his real rookie season in 2024 and be a bit of a non-secret weapon.
And who knows, after a superlative professional debut last summer, 2023 No. 4 overall selection Wyatt Langford could find himself in the lineup on Opening Day, as well, to add even more pop to the AL’s best lineup.
The Rangers’ bullpen was a constant source of stress, drama, agony, and heartache during the summer in 2023. With that in mind, Texas was able to win the World Series quite literally in spite of their bullpen, a task nearly unheard of in modern baseball.
The Rangers became the first team to make it into the playoffs having more blown saves (33) than actual saves (30), much less win the whole thing. There was not a moment all year where the Rangers’ bullpen provided anything resembling a feeling that things were in hand, even as they stabilized in October around the superhuman efforts of Jose Leclerc, Josh Sborz, and many starters turned relievers.
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