Are Playoff Hopes for Rangers Resting on Their Bats?

Looking at the standings gives one the impression that the Texas Rangers are hanging in the race. Going into Wednesday, the club is just 4.5 games out in the American League West and 4.0 games back in the Wild Card race.

Thanks to a starting staff that’s pitching to histortic levels, the Rangers figure to remain within striking distance as the summer heats up. Well, that’s the hope.

The fate of the team appears to rest on the arms of Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle. There’s also a lot being asked of Patrick Corbin, and rookies Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker.

Have Rangers Wasted Performances of Staff Led by Eovaldi and deGrom?

But have their efforts been wasted? That’s the opinion of ESPN.com’s David Schoenfield, who predicts the Rangers (and the Atlanta Braves) will miss the playoffs because of their offenses.

Both teams are under .500 and have wasted good pitching in the process, especially the Rangers, who rank second in the majors behind only the Mets in runs allowed per game. The Rangers' top three of Nathan Eovaldi, Tyler Mahle and Jacob deGrom have crushed it, combining for a 1.97 ERA. Eovaldi just landed on the IL because of triceps tendinitis, although it's expected to be the minimum stay.ESPN.com

Yes, the Rangers can’t hit or score runs. The two big bats acquired in the offseason have been busts. Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia have wallowed in season-long slumps.

Bringing in new hitting coach Bret Boone and manager Bruce Bochy juggling that lineup haven’t led to consistent results.

The Rangers acquired Jake Burger and Joc Pederson in the offseason to bolster the offense, but Burger has a .250 OBP and Pederson has hit .131 with a .269 OBP. Marcus Semien isn't driving the ball, hitting .199 with only six extra-base hits -- he had 73 in the World Series season -- while Adolis Garcia's offense continues to stagnate with a .258 OBP. The lineup has been so bad that manager Bruce Bochy recently had Triple-A journeyman Sam Haggerty batting leadoff for an entire week.ESPN.com

Can the Rangers make the playoffs?

The Rangers aren’t in a position to give up on the season. The standings and the track record of their hitters suggests a surge is possible. But is it likely, especially with the trade deadline coming fast?

The Rangers are likely to see some regression from their pitching -- Eovaldi and Mahle have been almost impossibly good and the bullpen still looks shaky on paper -- so even though the AL is wide open, it has been two years of bad offense. OBP is life in baseball -- and the Rangers simply don't have it.ESPN.com

That all adds up to another another probable missed postseason for the 2023 World Series champions.

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