Series Thread: Rangers Host the Angels For Three Games April 15-17

[saddles]

The Rangers come home reeling from a 1-5 road trip. They are now only 2 games above .500. The media will continue to tell us not to panic and not to worry.

I am beginning to worry about this offense. As long as Burger and Pederson continue to slump, and as long as Semien and Taveras continue to follow their career paths, this offense is in trouble.

Burger and Pederson will probably get better, but they should not be starting every day while they are struggling so mightily. Of the two, Pederson is a little more troubling, simply because he is about to turn 33. Some guys get old fast near that age.

That brings up another problem with our offense. Marcus Semien is off to another bad start. Unlike how Evan Grant portrayed the situation, Marcus Semien doesn't get off to bad starts every year. He has had 3 really good years as a major leaguer. Those years have been 2019, 2021, and 2023. In 2 of those 3 really good years he has started off well, when judged by his first 18 games. Below are his OPS stats for each of those years.

2023 - .848
2021 - .624
2019 - .906

In 2024 Marcus Semien actually started off fairly well, but then had a poor season. In his last 3 poor seasons, he has gotten off to a bad start 2 times. Below are his OPS stats for each of those years.

2024 - .794
2022 - .457
2020 - .535

So, those numbers disprove the claim Evan Grant made. Evan was carelessly mistaken in his zeal to defend Semien.

When we first acquired Semien I was opposed to it because he had only put up 2 good seasons prior to us signing him. Thise were both really good to great seasons, but his offensive performance had always been inconsistent. I believe I said at the time that we most most likely would only get 3 good years out of him in the 7 year contract term that we signed him to. I may have been a tad too optimistic even in my pessimism.

There have been several players down through the years who stayed productive well past Semien's age. Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz are 2 good examples of that. Then there are the guys who barely make it past 30 before declining, like Elvis Andrus did. Semien will turn 35 years old before the season is over. Father Time may have caught up with him.

Marcus may get things turned around and have a fine year. We had better hope so, because Bochy will never bench him for more than 10 to 12 games total, the rest of the way.

Taveras is who he is. He is a guy who struggles for most of a season, but who will have 1 or 2 hot hitting streaks aling the way each year. Those hot streaks are like fool's gold. The streaks convince some folks that he has finally turned the corner and is turning into the really good player that they always thought he would be. We really need to hope that some GM feels that way when we finally get around to trading him.

Getting Evan Carter back to being the productive player that he was a couple of years ago is key in getting those in charge to finally give up on Taveras and trade him. We had better hope that that happens and that it happens very soon.

To me, I would rather trust Dustin Harris on the roster and move on from Taveras. If Osuna gets hot that would make two guys I would rather trust.

The question is, how long will those 4 guys continue to struggle and hold back this offense? Or, in some cases, how long will they be allowed to struggle.

We go into this series with the Angels with a different order in the rotation. Mahle pitches tonight, followed by Corbin and Rocker. Bochy has done this to have deGrom pitch in the Dodgers series.

Bochy has shown before that he likes to put our best foot forward when we match up with the best in baseball. He did that back in June of 2023 when we were going up against a Rays team that was off to a 46-19 start. That Rangers team seemed to respond in a bad way to that tactic by Bochy. That 40-20 Rangers team would go on to play under .500 the rest of that season. This team is already struggling, so maybe it will have the opposite effect this time.

In the mean time, we have 3 very important games against the Angels and no deGrom pitching in this series.

 

[Senator_fan]

I’m expecting the next 3 games to be a HR derby. Angels averaging 2 homers a game and they give up a lot of HR’s.

Seeing how de Grom was giving up HR’s in Seattle maybe the extra rest will be good for him.

If Pederson’s spot comes up late with tying or winning runs on board he has to be pinch hit for. Right now Austin Hedges looks like Babe Ruth compared to him.

 

[Kelleyman]

Roof open lends itself to HRs. Wish Wyatt was back

 

[Kelleyman]

Well too early to panic and real worst part is perhaps Bochy judgement.
Why Marcus is batting leadoff is a headscratcher
Long gone are his days in Toronto
Smith who runs well and sees pitches is great

In a perfect world the spot is a placeholder for a healthy Carter against RHP but alas this is not a reality soon to happen

 

[saddles]

Here is Baseball America’s latest 2025 MLB mock draft pick for the Rangers:

12. Rangers — Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP/1B, Sunset HS, Portland, Ore.
Schoolcraft’s control was a bit scattered in his first outing of the year, but he is still a 6-foot-8 high school lefthander who generates mid-90s velocity with ease. He has an advanced changeup and flashes of a biting slider, as well. He’s still hitting for his high school team and has huge raw power from the lefthanded batter’s box, which will lead teams to dream about what he will look like after a few years focused on pitching only.

 

[saddles]

Here is Baseball America’s latest 2025 mock draft pick for the Rangers:

12. Rangers — Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP/1B, Sunset HS, Portland, Ore.
Schoolcraft’s control was a bit scattered in his first outing of the year, but he is still a 6-foot-8 high school lefthander who generates mid-90s velocity with ease. He has an advanced changeup and flashes of a biting slider, as well. He’s still hitting for his high school team and has huge raw power from the lefthanded batter’s box, which will lead teams to dream about what he will look like after a few years focused on pitching only.

Keith Law just rel released his top 50 draft prospects for the 2025 MLB draft, this morning. He had Schoolcraft ranked 45th. Here is his scouting report on Schoolcraft:

Kruz Schoolcraft​

LHP

---

Sunset HS (Portland, Ore.)
DOB:
04-18-2007
Height:
6-8
Weight:
229

Scouting Report
Bats: L, Throws: L
Schoolcraft is 6-foot-8 and imposing on the mound, coming from a low three-quarters slot and getting out over his front side at release to take advantage of his height. He sits in the mid-90s with a slider that’s plus when he lands it and a hard changeup. He takes a big stride towards the plate — I’m not sure what would constitute a “small” stride for him, it’d probably be three giant leaps for me — but his arm is late, and that may be why the slider is inconsistent and often finishes up. Every pitching coach in baseball would want to work with him, though, given the foundation of size, arm strength, and ability to spin the ball.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

The Rangers come home reeling from a 1-5 road trip. They are now only 2 games above .500. The media will continue to tell us not to panic and not to worry.

I am beginning to worry about this offense. As long as Burger and Pederson continue to slump, and as long as Semien and Taveras continue to follow their career paths, this offense is in trouble.

Burger and Pederson will probably get better, but they should not be starting every day while they are struggling so mightily. Of the two, Pederson is a little more troubling, simply because he is about to turn 33. Some guys get old fast near that age.

That brings up another problem with our offense. Marcus Semien is off to another bad start. Unlike how Evan Grant portrayed the situation, Marcus Semien doesn't get off to bad starts every year. He has had 3 really good years as a major leaguer. Those years have been 2019, 2021, and 2023. In 2 of those 3 really good years he has started off well, when judged by his first 18 games. Below are his OPS stats for each of those years.

2023 - .848
2021 - .624
2019 - .906

In 2024 Marcus Semien actually started off fairly well, but then had a poor season. In his last 3 poor seasons, he has gotten off to a bad start 2 times. Below are his OPS stats for each of those years.

2024 - .794
2022 - .457
2020 - .535

So, those numbers disprove the claim Evan Grant made. Evan was carelessly mistaken in his zeal to defend Semien.

When we first acquired Semien I was opposed to it because he had only put up 2 good seasons prior to us signing him. Thise were both really good to great seasons, but his offensive performance had always been inconsistent. I believe I said at the time that we most most likely would only get 3 good years out of him in the 7 year contract term that we signed him to. I may have been a tad too optimistic even in my pessimism.

There have been several players down through the years who stayed productive well past Semien's age. Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz are 2 good examples of that. Then there are the guys who barely make it past 30 before declining, like Elvis Andrus did. Semien will turn 35 years old before the season is over. Father Time may have caught up with him.

Marcus may get things turned around and have a fine year. We had better hope so, because Bochy will never bench him for more than 10 to 12 games total, the rest of the way.

Taveras is who he is. He is a guy who struggles for most of a season, but who will have 1 or 2 hot hitting streaks aling the way each year. Those hot streaks are like fool's gold. The streaks convince some folks that he has finally turned the corner and is turning into the really good player that they always thought he would be. We really need to hope that some GM feels that way when we finally get around to trading him.

Getting Evan Carter back to being the productive player that he was a couple of years ago is key in getting those in charge to finally give up on Taveras and trade him. We had better hope that that happens and that it happens very soon.

To me, I would rather trust Dustin Harris on the roster and move on from Taveras. If Osuna gets hot that would make two guys I would rather trust.

The question is, how long will those 4 guys continue to struggle and hold back this offense? Or, in some cases, how long will they be allowed to struggle.

We go into this series with the Angels with a different order in the rotation. Mahle pitches tonight, followed by Corbin and Rocker. Bochy has done this to have deGrom pitch in the Dodgers series.

Bochy has shown before that he likes to put our best foot forward when we match up with the best in baseball. He did that back in June of 2023 when we were going up against a Rays team that was off to a 46-19 start. That Rangers team seemed to respond in a bad way to that tactic by Bochy. That 40-20 Rangers team would go on to play under .500 the rest of that season. This team is already struggling, so maybe it will have the opposite effect this time.

In the mean time, we have 3 very important games against the Angels and no deGrom pitching in this series.

I'm not as worried about Burger as some are but Pederson, yes. Burger seems to get good wood on the ball and he has done a good job at 1b.

 

[saddles]

From Jeff Wilson:

Dustin Harris, a former first baseman in the minors, is doing some work at first during #Rangers batting practice. He was a third baseman when acquired in the Mike Minor trade in 2020.

 

[saddles]

From Keff Wilson:

Jack Leiter (blister) is scheduled to throw live batting practice Thursday and could return to #Rangers next Tuesday. Manager Bruce Bochy said Wyatt Langford (oblique) could return this weekend.

 

[saddles]

From Jeff Wilson:

Jake Burger had a bug of some sort yesterday, so that’s why he isn’t starting tonight for #Rangers. Josh Smith’s jammed thumb is getting another day.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

It is the home opener for the Hub City Spartanburgers tonight. Congratulations to all those folks in that area getting their first ever minor league game.

 

[saddles]

From Jamey Newberg:

The Rangers have brought IF Nick Ahmed back on a minor-league contract, and released RHP J.T. Chargois from his AAA deal.

 

[saddles]

Winston Santos pitches on his birthday for Frisco tonight

 

[WastinSomeTime]

View attachment 394989

Could we just get healthy for a change.

 

[saddles]

From Zach Bigley:

More Sebastian Walcott exit velocity updates! Two balls in play so far today:

Line out to third at 113 mph
Single up the middle at 112 mph

 

[saddles]

From MLB Pipeline:

275 days ago, Dylan Dreiling and Malcolm Moore became the @Rangers' first two selections in the 2024 Draft.


Today, they each hit their first homers of the season for the High-A @Spartanburgers_:

 

[DTLUNA]

One time thru the order and one hit.

 

[saddles]

From Tepid :

Winston Santos shreds the Sod Poodles of Amarillo in the first. FB sitting 94-95. He hit 7’1” of extension on one of them, which is really elite and a part of his success. Winston is on the 40-man and most definitely a dude.

 

[Senator_fan]

Mahle really bears down with runners in scoring position.