Texas Rangers finish first month below .500, but April was far from a waste
The first month of the MLB season closed out on a rainy Friday, when the roof at Globe Life Field would allow the Texas Rangers to host the Boston Red Sox without delay.
And the Rangers’ 6-1 loss meant the team closed April at 11-16, which leaves them in last place in the division. Still, they find themselves in better place than they were in back on April 3.
The Rangers were 0-2 and had allowed 14 and 11 runs in the two losses. The pitching was atrocious. The defense had had its issues, too.
Four weeks later, through the inconsistencies that can plague young teams in the midst of a rebuild, the Rangers have shown they aren’t all that bad.
Oddly, that might be good enough to convince club brass and ownership to spring board into free agency and start building around a young nucleus of players. Trends have to continue in the right direction, which will be a challenge with five more months to play.
Here is a look at the highs and lows of the Rangers’ April.
Best player: Nick Solak
Solak was given a chance to be the second baseman during the offseason, and it was cemented when the Rangers parted ways with Rougned Odor, rather than play him at third base and occasionally at second.
After a slow start, Solak has been the Rangers’ best hitter and has impressed with improved defense. He closed the month leading the team lead with seven home runs.
Best pitcher: Kyle Gibson
The Opening Day starter couldn’t make it out of the first inning April 1, but in the five starts that followed Gibson was one of the best pitchers in the American League. He finished the month at 3-0 with 2.16 ERA, and he did not allow a home run. His ERA after the season opener was 135.00, but he shrunk that number thanks to an 0.82 ERA the rest of the month.
Best rookie: Adolis Garcia
This outfielder didn’t make the Opening Day roster but quickly made up for lost time after joining the squad on April 13. He hit five home runs in his first 10 games, made multiple run-saving plays in the outfield, and was selected as the American League Player of the Week on April 26. Garcia’s sudden impact overshadowed nice months by three other rookies — right-handed starters Dane Dunning and Kohei Arihara and left-handed reliever John King.
Biggest surprise: Nate Lowe
The Rangers are giving Lowe the chance he never received with Tampa Bay — to play every day — and he’s making the most of it. The first baseman exited April tied for second in MLB with 22 RBIs and was second on the Rangers in home runs, with six. He has benefited from teams pitching around Joey Gallo, the AL leader in walks (24), and has proven to be a threat in the middle of the lineup.
Biggest disappointment: Ronald Guzman injury
The MVP of the Dominican Winter League was beaten out by Lowe at first base but showed a willingness to play the outfield if necessary. But Guzman’s season came to a screeching halt on April 12 with a knee injury that will force him to miss the rest of the season. Guzman’s future with the Rangers was already in peril entering the season, and will be so again entering the offseason.
Biggest trend: Rangers are competitive
In the Rangers’ first 26 games of the season, they were only not competitive in two of them. They just happened to be in back-to-back games Sunday and Monday, and even Monday they showed some early fight. The Rangers have played hard, turned in grinding at-bats, and played well defensively. That’s part of the culture manager Chris Woodward wants to develop to help the Rangers become contenders. The next step is learning how to win close games.
Biggest controversy: Full capacity
The Rangers’ decision to open Globe Life Field to full capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic created quite the stir. President Joe Biden chimed in against it. A TV network in Japan dispatched a reporter to cover the game. The home-opener drew a sellout crowd of 38,238 amid declining cases and increased vaccinations. The Rangers are averaging an MLB-best 24,231 fans a game.
This story was originally published April 30, 2021 at 4:05 PM.
