Winning is the Rangers’ goal every day. In 2020, winning will become an expectation
The goal every game this season for the Texas Rangers was to win, no matter how outmanned they were and no matter what things look like now in the final week of the 162-game campaign.
For a while, primarily in June, they were winning. They reached their high point of 10 games over .500 with a win June 28 at Tampa Bay. They finished the first half six games over .500 and won the first two of the second half.
It’s been downhill ever since, and things are slogging slowly along to the Sunday season finale.
Only four more to go, at which point the tenor for next season will change. Winning will be an expectation, not just a goal.
“They should know the process, they should know my expectations, and now we’ve got to take the next to put all these processes in play from Day 1,” manager Chris Woodward said. “We’ve got a year into that process, so now we put all that to play right away and we hit the ground running.”
These Rangers, as currently constructed, can’t do that, Woodward said, and they need to add help this off-season. He didn’t specify, though there is a glaring need for a right-handed starting pitcher and a third baseman.
If players can’t produce, either overall or against a certain kind of pitcher, they will see their playing time reduced. Woodward has warned them as much.
He doesn’t want to roll out platoons at, say, second base or in right field, but will do so if it makes the difference between contending and spending September holding another tryout.
“We need to make some additions in certain areas, but I think the mentality is there,” Woodward said. “They’re hungry. They want to win. That’s all they really talk about, and that’s all I talk about.”
Joey Gallo, Willie Calhoun, Shin-Soo Choo, Mike Minor, Lance Lynn and Jose Leclerc are on the 2020 Opening Day roster, assuming they aren’t traded during the off-season. The same goes for Danny Santana, though in a role to be determined.
Elvis Andrus likely is the shortstop despite the talk last week of him facing competition, and it’s hard to envision a 2020 Rangers bullpen without Rafael Montero and Emmanuel Clase and without Jose Trevino and Mike Mathis catching them.
Those who have less certainty at least know the process. It’s up to them to figure things out after a year adjusting to it.
“We’re trying to give them a recipe for success,” Woodward said. “When I talk about process for our players, they have to understand we can not talk one day off. Championship players and championship teams don’t take days off. Your production is to help our team.”
Gallo, who is unlikely to play again this season, said enough pieces are in place for to help the Rangers to contend all of next season and not just the first half.
“Just looking at the team, we have a bright future,” he said. “We have a lot of good players, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Woodward, though, wanted to make clear that the process, which is different for every player, won’t be abandoned in a win-at-all-cost frenzy. The process is what fuels the winning.
As soon as this season ends, the process and winning jump to a new level for 2020.
“I don’t want to undervalue the important of process,” Woodward said. “It’s still at our core of our belief, but they should have a pretty good idea of what that means. So, now we’re moving into a new grade.
“I want to win. We won early, but now these guys should have their priorities straight so they can trust each other to say, ‘OK, we all have our understanding of what makes us a championship players. Now we go out and win with that mentality.’ I think we can take that next step.”
This story was originally published September 25, 2019 at 7:43 PM.
