Monday newsletter time: Rangers down to final 16 games, not that anyone is counting
(AP photo/Mark LoMoglio)
The Rangers have five series remaining this season.
Many have been counting down the days, series and games since just before the All-Star break, when the Rangers’ season went south for the winter at the beginning of the summer. The attention really turned to 2023 within the span of 72 August hours when manager Chris Woodward and president of baseball operations Jon Daniels were shown the door.
With Josh Jung up, which was the last remaining big story of the season, 2023 can’t get here soon enough.
The Rangers are 63-83. Their win Friday night at Tampa Bay ensured that they won’t lose 100 games for the second consecutive season, and the 5-3 loss Sunday to the Rays officially eliminated the Rangers from playoff contention.
Seven more wins would bring them to 70, which would be a 10-game improvement over last season. Corey Seager hit his 31st home run Sunday, which gives him the MLB record for home runs by a left-handed-hitting shortstop. Jung connected Sunday for his third homer since being promoted.
The Rangers currently have the ninth-worst record in baseball, which would give them the ninth pick in the 2023 MLB Draft pending the lottery. Jung was the eighth overall pick in the 2019 draft.
Considering the potential hits the farm system could take this offseason, between losses in the Rule 5 draft and trades for rotation help, some might be thinking the higher the better.
Up next for the Rangers is an off day today, followed by home series against the Angels and Guardians. Shohei Ohani is not expected to pitch for the Angels, who are a game ahead of the fourth-place Rangers.
Only 16 games to go, not that anyone is counting.
Frisco to playoffs
Double A Frisco is still playing.
The RoughRiders clinched the second-half title in the Texas League South Division on Friday night and will play first-half winner San Antonio in a three-game series that begins Tuesday at Riders Field.
Tickets are only five bucks.
This could be the last chance to see right-hander Jack Leiter pitch, though as of Sunday night he hadn’t been selected as the Game 1 starter. The game is also the first chance to see outfielder Evan Carter since his promotion from High A Hickory.
He and Thomas Saggese, who came with him from Hickory, have been helping lead the charge the past week. Carter has a homer and seven RBIs in six games. Saggese hit a grand slam Sunday for his first Double A home run and has nine RBIs in five games.
Triple A Round Rock is still playing, but the Express had a difficult week at El Paso and fell five games out of first place in the Pacific Coast League East Division.
ICYMI …
No Rangers road trip, no TCU football, and even the boy’s baseball team was off. The girl had softball and soccer, but it was a relatively quiet weekend for the Wilsons. Of course, the weekends are the busiest time of the week at Rangers Today, so I couldn’t just sit around on the couch in my undershorts sipping margaritas and watching football. I wore clothes. Here’s our latest content, in case you missed it.
The Sunday Read: The other guys for 2023
Friday on the Farm: Justin Foscue wants more
Rangers farm report: Kumar Rocker to the Fall League
Josh Jung recaps his first week
Rangers Today Baseball Podcast: MLB Pipeline writer Jim Callis
Doggy video!
The Wilsons need one of these. Enjoy. See you Tuesday.
Good boy..🐕🥣💦😍 pic.twitter.com/PeeypWWTvG
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) September 15, 2022
Jeff Wilson, jeff@rangerstoday.com
