Series Thread: Rangers Travel to Minnesota for 4 Games August 19-22

[saddles]

This is the extremely rare Friday through Monday series.

Texas Rangers (53-65, third in the AL West) vs. Minnesota Twins (61-55, second in the AL Central)

PITCHING PROBABLES:
Friday, 7:10 p.m. • Apple TV+: LHP Martin Perez (9-3, 2.79 ERA) vs. RHP Dylan Bundy (6-5, 4.76)


Saturday, 6:10 p.m. • RHP Glenn Otto (5-8, 4.96 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Archer (2-6, 4.15)


Sunday, 1:10 p.m. • RHP Kohei Arihara (0-1, 4.76 ERA) vs. RHP Joe Ryan (9-5, 3.92)


Monday, 6:10 p.m. • LHP Cole Ragans (0-2, 5.02 ERA) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (7-3, 3.11)


BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Twins start a four-game series at home against the Texas Rangers on Friday.

Minnesota has a 34-25 record at home and a 61-55 record overall. Twins hitters are batting a collective .252, which ranks fourth in the AL.

Texas is 53-65 overall and 26-31 on the road. The Rangers have a 23-49 record in games when they have allowed at least one home run.

The matchup Friday is the fourth meeting between these teams this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Luis Arraez has a .335 batting average to rank 10th on the Twins, and has 22 doubles, a triple and six home runs. Jose Miranda is 15-for-42 with two home runs and six RBI over the last 10 games.

Corey Seager has 15 doubles, a triple and 26 home runs while hitting .252 for the Rangers. Marcus Semien is 7-for-40 with three home runs over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Twins: 5-5, .270 batting average, 3.13 ERA, outscored opponents by eight runs

Rangers: 5-5, .269 batting average, 4.35 ERA, outscored by two runs

INJURIES: Twins: Tyler Mahle: day-to-day (shoulder), Jorge Polanco: day-to-day (knee), Kyle Garlick: 10-Day IL (ribcage), Miguel Sano: 60-Day IL (knee), Alex Kirilloff: 10-Day IL (wrist), Bailey Ober: 60-Day IL (groin), Danny Coulombe: 60-Day IL (hip), Ryan Jeffers: 10-Day IL (thumb), Trevor Larnach: 10-Day IL (core), Cody Stashak: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Royce Lewis: 60-Day IL (knee), Chris Paddack: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jhon Romero: 60-Day IL (biceps), Jorge Alcala: 60-Day IL (elbow), Randy Dobnak: 60-Day IL (finger), Kenta Maeda: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Rangers: Spencer Howard: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Dennis Santana: 15-Day IL (ankle), Kole Calhoun: 10-Day IL (heel), Jon Gray: 15-Day IL (side), Mitch Garver: 60-Day IL (forearm), Eli White: 60-Day IL (wrist)

 

[saddles]

It looks like the Rangers have 25 games left against good teams, 15 games left against bad teams and 4 against a mediocre opponent. If they go 9-16 against the good teams; 9-6 against the bad ones and split against the mediocre team that allows them to finish 20-24 in their final 44 games. That would give them a 73-89 record for the year.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

Excerpts from article:

Josh Jung began Thursday having hit in the last 11 games in which he’s played. He’d hit five homers in seven Triple-A games, including one Wednesday. He’d posted a 1.519 OPS at Triple-A Round Rock.

He’s swinging it.

But if you want to get him really excited, just wait until he tells you about the bad throw he made the other night. Well, the play on which he made the throw. It started with a dive. Onto his surgically repaired left shoulder.

“I’m feeling pretty good and confident,” Jung said Thursday about his swing, then changed the subject. “But I dove for a ball for the first time and I was like ‘OK, I dove. It feels OK. I’m going to be OK. I can do what I need to. I can dive more.’” ...

The Rangers could call their 24-year-old 2019 first-round pick to the majors as early as next week. He has been in a playing progression that will have him DH on Friday, take Saturday off and play Sunday. After that, he’d presumably play at the manager’s discretion without limits. Which manager he’d play for - Matt Hagen at Round Rock or Tony Beasley in the majors – is still up in the air. ...


The traditional date would be Sept. 1 when rosters are expanded (though to only 28 now). But it could be before that, too. Two dates to keep in mind: Tuesday at Colorado or next Friday against Detroit.

The former would be 45 days from the end of the season, significant because a player can play up to 45 days or 130 at-bats and still retain rookie status for the next year. There is incentivization to keep rookie status now. For the club, a player finishing in the top three in Rookie of the Year voting could net an extra draft pick under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. For the player, the incentive is financial; finishing in the top two in Rookie of the Year voting would net a significant bonus under the new bonus pool and earn him an extra year of service time.

The latter would be the Rangers’ next home game and, hey, at this point, the ticket impact of a hot prospect’s debut can’t be ignored.

 

[saddles]

 

[scotsman1948]

Excerpts from article:

Josh Jung began Thursday having hit in the last 11 games in which he’s played. He’d hit five homers in seven Triple-A games, including one Wednesday. He’d posted a 1.519 OPS at Triple-A Round Rock.

He’s swinging it.

But if you want to get him really excited, just wait until he tells you about the bad throw he made the other night. Well, the play on which he made the throw. It started with a dive. Onto his surgically repaired left shoulder.

“I’m feeling pretty good and confident,” Jung said Thursday about his swing, then changed the subject. “But I dove for a ball for the first time and I was like ‘OK, I dove. It feels OK. I’m going to be OK. I can do what I need to. I can dive more.’” ...

The Rangers could call their 24-year-old 2019 first-round pick to the majors as early as next week. He has been in a playing progression that will have him DH on Friday, take Saturday off and play Sunday. After that, he’d presumably play at the manager’s discretion without limits. Which manager he’d play for - Matt Hagen at Round Rock or Tony Beasley in the majors – is still up in the air. ...


The traditional date would be Sept. 1 when rosters are expanded (though to only 28 now). But it could be before that, too. Two dates to keep in mind: Tuesday at Colorado or next Friday against Detroit.

The former would be 45 days from the end of the season, significant because a player can play up to 45 days or 130 at-bats and still retain rookie status for the next year. There is incentivization to keep rookie status now. For the club, a player finishing in the top three in Rookie of the Year voting could net an extra draft pick under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. For the player, the incentive is financial; finishing in the top two in Rookie of the Year voting would net a significant bonus under the new bonus pool and earn him an extra year of service time.

The latter would be the Rangers’ next home game and, hey, at this point, the ticket impact of a hot prospect’s debut can’t be ignored.

either works for me

 

[Kelleyman]

 

[Kelleyman]

This is a must listen. These guys have a bit more insider knowledge IMO

@saddles some why did we not trade Mike Minor quicker and why we did not rebuild sooner
So feel validated lol

Per them the owners did not want because they wanted seats filled.

 

[saddles]

This is a must listen. These guys have a bit more insider knowledge IMO

@saddles some why did we not trade Mike Minor quicker and why we did not rebuild sooner
So feel validated lol

Per them the owners did not want because they wanted seats filled.

Lol. That is the same group that was sure Anderson Tejeda was going to be an everyday SS in the league, and that was after he had struggled in the upper levels.

They follow the minor leagues religiously, Scott especially, and are very knowledgeable about that aspect. When it comes to their opinions they can be just as biased or wrong as any other fan.

Also, not sure, but they may be charter members of the JD Fan Club. Were you able to hear the rustle of their pom poms? Lol

 

[Kelleyman]

 

[Kelleyman]

Lol. That is the same group that was sure Anderson Tejeda was going to be an everyday SS in the league, and that was after he had struggled in the upper levels.

They follow the minor leagues religiously, Scott especially, and are very knowledgeable about that aspect. When it comes to their opinions they can be just as biased or wrong as any other fan.

Also, not sure, but they may be charter members of the JD Fan Club. We're you able to hear the rustle of their pom poms? Lol

So it appears you think all 3 are biased
Only one liked Woodward and one agrees with you re Lowe.

What I do think for me which you may be saying is slanting towards JD is when I said we were going to make a splash signing to open the new stadium. This pretty much equates to not rebuilding soon enough. I know you wanted it even sooner. But these were my thoughts made prior to hearing it from anyone and. Is I hear it fro m them. Plus other stuff

So yeah to each their own opinion wise

 

[Kelleyman]

Because this is still news to me

 

[saddles]

So many spent the past few years telling everyone, essentially, that they were stupid for wanting JD fired. Now that he has been fired it gives some credibility to those they were portraying as stupid. That really upsets them. I think it is hilarious to see guys like Adam being so upset.

 

[saddles]

So it appears you think all 3 are biased
Only one liked Woodward and one agrees with you re Lowe.

What I do think for me which you may be saying is slanting towards JD is when I said we were going to make a splash signing to open the new stadium. This pretty much equates to not rebuilding soon enough. I know you wanted it even sooner. But these were my thoughts made prior to hearing it from anyone and. Is I hear it fro m them. Plus other stuff

So yeah to each their own opinion wise

I think everyone is biased. Some are more unreasonable in their bias, but I think we all have a bias.

 

[saddles]

So it appears you think all 3 are biased
Only one liked Woodward and one agrees with you re Lowe.

What I do think for me which you may be saying is slanting towards JD is when I said we were going to make a splash signing to open the new stadium. This pretty much equates to not rebuilding soon enough. I know you wanted it even sooner. But these were my thoughts made prior to hearing it from anyone and. Is I hear it fro m them. Plus other stuff

So yeah to each their own opinion wise

If they would have started the rebuilding when I wanted they could have been a really good team by 2018 or so. Oh well.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

I'm officially sick of the JD story.

I liked him and the job he did. He wasn't perfect, but I think the positives outweighed the negatives.

But the franchise is revamping and JD is out. It happens all the time.

 

[Kelleyman]

I'm officially sick of the JD story.

I liked him and the job he did. He wasn't perfect, but I think the positives outweighed the negatives.

But the franchise is revamping and JD is out. It happens all the time.

But it is still off the Ranger press and a guy like me has to work through stuff

Remember my avatar was JD for the longest? I will get there. Will be moving on soon with scattered JD stuff.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

But it is still off the Ranger press and a guy like me has to work through stuff

Remember my avatar was JD for the longest? I will get there. Will be moving on soon with scattered JD stuff.

I get it, no disrespect meant to those still interested in the conversation.

 

[saddles]

I have aired plenty of complaints about JD over the years, but I have always tried to credit him with what he has done right also.

Many fans, and especially me, have been looking forward to seeing Josh Jung play here for a long time now. There is currently a whole lot of excitement about his eminent arrival.

Let me take a moment to thank JD for making this excitement possible. He was an excellent draft choice. He may be the best prospect we have had since Mark Teixeira, and we most likely won't have another as good as Jung for quite some time. Thank you, Jon Daniels!

 

[saddles]

From Jeff Wilson:

"The prevailing theory is that Jung will be called up once he reaches the fail-safe point where he will not lose his rookie status for 2023, thus ensuring the possibility of the Rangers receiving a draft pick in 2024 if he finishes in the top three in Rookie of the Year voting or in the top five of the MVP vote."

"Come to think of it, the Rangers should be doing that."


Yes, it would be ridiculous to get this close to that date and not wait for that date.