With the MLB playoffs just over a month away, the Rangers and Astros continue to compete for the American League (AL) West division title.
At the halfway point of the MLB season, the Texas Rangers were flying high with a 49-32 record and a five-game lead in the AL West. However, things have tightened up since then, as the Houston Astros and surging Seattle Mariners have pulled themselves into a tie with the Rangers a game back for the AL West lead.
With the postseason just four weeks away, the Astros, Mariners and Rangers continue to jockey for the top spot on the AL West leaderboard. All three of these teams want to represent the AL in the World Series, but only the winner of the division will be guaranteed a playoff spot. The team who falls short will be forced to try to make the playoffs as a wild card, and could be in danger of missing out completely.
The Rangers currently have a record of 75-58 and are in third place in the division following a poor July (11-13) and August (15-11). This is an unfamiliar position for the Rangers, as they have not won the division since 2016. They find themselves in this spot despite several injuries to their pitching staff, including big-ticket free agent Jacob deGrom. DeGrom, who spent the past nine seasons with the Mets, underwent season-ending surgery in June for a torn UCL on his throwing arm. He signed a five year, $185 million contract with the Rangers this offseason, and posted a 2.67 earned run average (ERA) in six starts this season.
Because of the loss of their ace pitcher, the Rangers have had to overcome by scoring runs, and a lot of them. Texas has scored 733 runs this season, which is the second most in all of baseball and the most in the American League. This feat is largely due to the efforts of second baseman Marcus Semien, who leads the team in hits (151) and runs scored (98), while also also being one of the best in batting average (.276).
Somewhat like the Rangers, the Houston Astros also find themselves in an unfamiliar spot: not dominating their division.
Houston finished the first half of their season 44-37, putting them five games behind the Rangers. However, they have climbed back to overtake Texas, going 33-21 in the second half of the season. The Astros are very familiar with competing to go to the postseason, as they have won the AL West five of the six seasons and are the defending World Series champions.
Despite winning it all last year, the Astros still made offseason additions, signing 2022 AL MVP Jose Abreu. Unfortunately for the Astros, Abreu did not start the season well, hitting a below-average .231 in April, along with a dismal May in which he possessed a batting average of .180. Abreu’s poor play contributed to the Astros slow start, however Abreu has since gotten better, hitting .292 in June and .263 in July.
The Astros also added a familiar face at the trade deadline, starting pitcher Justin Verlander, who had spent the previous five seasons in Houston and won two World Series with the franchise. Verlander has a 2.79 ERA in five games since rejoining the Astros, and adds to an already strong rotation. It’s been an unusually inconsistent season for the defending champions, but, like great teams do, they are figuring it out.
The Rangers also loaded up at the trade deadline, acquiring three time Cy-Young award winner Max Scherzer. The 39-year-old has a 12-5 record and a 3.71 ERA in 24 games started this season with the Mets and Rangers, giving Texas the ace they needed due to deGrom’s injury. The Rangers have overcome a lot to put themselves in this position, however the competition is not lacking, even in their own state.
The race for the AL West is the most interesting it has been in years. The baseball world has grown accustomed to expecting the Astros’ dominance in this division, but this year other teams had a different idea. Despite a 3-7 record in their last ten games, the Texas Rangers have shown that they are capable of competing with and beating the Astros. Factor in the red-hot Seattle Mariners, who have an 8-2 record in their last ten games, and the AL West has three teams that could be playing deep into October. There is only a month remaining for these teams to put their stamp on this division, and everyone will be watching to see who does it.
