Despite a turbulent first half, the Texas Rangers sit atop a struggling division. Now, Jacob deGrom’s health and a powerhouse offense must stabilize the lead to secure the crown.
The American League West Division remains wide open, but it's an extremely winnable division for the current leaders, the Texas Rangers.
Sitting at 49-47, the Rangers are the only team over .500 in the division. Their 5-5 record in their last 10 games is somehow the best out of the five teams heading into the All-Star break.
This was not a perfect first half of the 2026 season, far from it, but the Rangers got the job done in terms of setting the tone for where they should be in the standings.
The AL in general is extremely weak, so making the postseason is an easy goal to have, but with the way things have gone this far, there's no reason the Rangers can't win the AL West.
Rangers first half grade: B
It's impossible to give the division leader a below average grade, but this team still has a ton more they need to prove. While it was originally going to be a B-, it can't be understated how much this team has exceeded expectations.
They won three of their last four, including their last two series, heading into the All-Star break. But there have been far too many cold stretches for anyone to take this team seriously as a true AL contender.
Remember, this is a Rangers team that had the best record in the AL during the month of June at 16-11. They ended the month with a six-game winning streak, but haven't won more than two games in a row since then.
The status of Jacob deGrom will determine quite a bit when it comes to the Rangers' starting rotation. If a couple pf extra days rest make the 38-year-old good to go, then Texas has nothing to worry about. If not, that's when things start to get interesting.
Rangers first half highlights
DeGrom's seven wins are two shy of Nathan Eovaldi, the team's leader with nine. deGrom has him beat in the ERA (3.49) and strikeout (122) department, both of which are team highs.
Jacob Latz and Jakob Junis have been an incredible one-two combo in the bullpen, but Junis hasn't pitched since Monday, June 29. The sooner they get him back off the 15-day Injured List, the better, as that's a closing combination most teams would dream of having.
Offensively, Josh Jung and Jake Burger have held this team together. Jung leads in batting average (.298), OBP (.367) and hits (100), while Burger has him beat in home runs (16) and RBIs (58).
Joc Pederson and Ezequiel Duran have stellar slugging percentages while Brandon Nimmo also throws his name in the hat for a solid candidate in the OPS department. Justin Foscue doesn't have nearly the same sample size as everyone else, but the 27-year-old has been on a heater since the start of June.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
