The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros seemed destined to battle for American League West crown down the stretch.
The Texas Rangers head into the second half with postseason aspirations after a six-year playoff drought. A season-long lead in the American League West has Texas dreaming big. A league-best six All-Stars shows that the talent is there.
But, as manager Bruce Bochy has said, it’s not going to be a “walk through the park.”
The defending champion Houston Astros also occupy the division and they’re right on the Rangers’ heels. The second half figures to be a sprint to finish as contenders around baseball jockey for playoff position.
As for the first half, MLB.com has put together a list of what all 30 clubs have learned so far. Here’s what the outlet had to say about the Rangers:
Texas concluded the first half with a two-game lead atop the American League West, but that lead was as large as six games at the end of June. The Rangers have skidded to a 17-19 record over the last 36 games heading into the break, and the bullpen has continued to regress while the historic offense has cooled off tremendously and has struggled to drive in runners in scoring position. But it’s still one of the best starts in franchise history, and a dramatic leap over the last two years. The club is no doubt a legitimate contender in the American League, but the Astros won’t go away quietly. They’ll need to return to their early-season form if they want to secure the first division title since 2016.
The Rangers (52-39) start the second half Friday by opening a nine-game, 10-day homestand. Texas will face the Cleveland Guardians, Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers – all first-place teams – at Globe Life Field.
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