Five things the Texas Rangers must do in 2023 to end their six-year playoff drought
On the heels of a six-year playoff drought, the Texas Rangers may be poised to turn things around in the 2023 season.
The team has splurged on spending in the last couple of offseasons and now owns the ninth-highest payroll in all of Major League Baseball. It has netted the Rangers marquee free agents such as pitchers Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, plus infielders Marcus Semien and Corey Seager among others.
Can the Rangers make the playoffs? With Opening Day here, these are five things that must happen to earn a spot in the playoffs come October:
Healthy starting pitching
Josh Jung ascendance
Big bats showing up
Marcus Semien and Corey Seager both signed massive deals prior to the 2022 season and both had up-and-down inaugural seasons with the Rangers.
Heading into the 2023 season both players will be looking to return to the play that earned them massive contacts.
Seager has done just that in spring training, leading the Rangers in hits while batting .400 with four home runs and nine RBIs.
Semien has struggled, slashing .220 with one home run and two RBIs.
The infield duo signed for a collective half-billion dollars. They are keys to a successful Rangers lineup.
Closing success
Last season the Rangers had a team save percentage of 55% and only eight teams in the MLB had fewer saves.
Unlike the starting rotation, the bullpen was not remade by splash offseason. Despite those statistics, the team has several options at closer already on the roster.
José Leclerc, Jonathan Hernández and Joe Barlow are all possible options to close and all three had success in the position last year but were hampered by injuries or recovery from injuries.
This season, Leclerc led the team in saves during spring training going 3-for-3 and seems to be in pole position to be the Rangers’ closer.
However, Barlow led the Rangers with 13 saves last year before a blister injury sidelined him and remains a viable option.
Hernández didn’t get any save opportunities in spring training but was sharp, posting a 1.74 ERA in 10.1 innings.
The Rangers have multiple players they can insert into the closer role, but how Bochy manages the role will be crucial.
Bruce Bochy living up to his reputation
The Rangers made few moves more important than bringing in Bruce Bochy as their newest manager.
Bochy is one of the most decorated managers in MLB history, having won three World Series championships and a National League Manager of the Year award during his previous stops in San Francisco and San Diego.
Bochy has an excellent track record of managing his bullpen and rotation something that will be paramount for the Rangers this season especially if players become injured during the season.
It’s been three years since Bochy managed full time but if he’s able to maximize the talent Rangers roster he could have them playing in October.
The Texas Rangers open their season Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies at 3:05 p.m. CT at Globe Life Field.
This story was originally published March 29, 2023 at 12:09 PM.
