Rangers in Latest MLB Power Rankings

The Texas Rangers were in great position to win both series on their just-completed road trip.

That they didn’t is a bummer, bit it didn’t penalize the Rangers in the latest Power Rankings from MLB.com. Texas held firm at No. 3, trailing just the No. 1 Tampa Bay Rays and No. 2 Atlanta Braves in the weekly rankings.

MLB.com singled out shortstop Corey Seager, who is one of five Rangers position players in the running for an All-Star Game berth when fan voting resumes Monday. Per MLB.com:

It’s hard not to wonder what Corey Seager’s numbers might look like had he not missed more than a month earlier this season due to a strained left hamstring. The Rangers’ shortstop is hitting .349 with a 1.028 OPS. He has 10 homers and 46 RBIs in just 46 games – that’s a 35-homer, 162-RBI pace over 162 games. Seager has had plenty of help up and down the Texas lineup – and from the pitching staff – on a team that finds itself with a 5 1/2-game lead in the AL West.

The Rangers (47-30) are comfortably ahead in the division, but they let two golden chances slip away in a weekend series at the New York Yankees. After winning the opener 4-2 in extra innings, Texas lost 1-0 on Saturday and 5-3 on Sunday to drop the series.

A win in either would have claimed a series for the first time in the Bronx since 2017. Texas opened the trek with a 2-1 series victory at the Chicago White Sox, so the trip ended with a 3-3 record. 

The bullpen did the Rangers in on Sunday, as a 3-2 lead was squandered in the eighth inning with relievers John King and Yerry Rodriguez allowing three runs on four hits. The Texas bullpen has 15 losses – half of the team total.

The Rangers also left 30 men on bases in the New York series, with exactly 10 in each game. The lack of a big hit at the right time was especially evident in the two losses.

The rest of the AL West in the rankings: Houston Astros (10), Los Angeles Angels (11), Seattle Mariners (20) and Oakland Athletics (30).

The Rangers begin an eight-game homestand Monday night against the Detroit Tigers. Andrew Heaney (5-4, 3.98) goes for Texas opposite Matthew Boyd (5-5, 5.37). First pitch at Globe Life Field is set for 7:05 p.m.

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You can follow Art Garcia on Twitter @ArtGarcia92.