Texas Rangers are laying the foundation to be successful
By Reid Hanson
When the Texas Rangers set the record for most free agent dollars spent in a single day this past offseason, it was easy to get caught up in the hype. Netting two of the top five offensive free agents has a way doing that to a fanbase as pained as the Rangers’ fanbase has been the past few years.
Understandably, that excitement shifted to some unrealistic expectations, and with it, they planted the seeds for their own (my own?) disappointment here in the Summer of 2022. We knew it would take more than a couple shiny new toys to make this 100-loss club into a winner and those kinds of changes don’t happen overnight.
Even still, it’s difficult to accept a losing record here as we move into the month of June.
The Texas Rangers are going through some very expected and very needed growing pains this season.
For the first time in years the Texas Rangers are trying to win. I mean that in the most honest way possible. The past two seasons they have been aggressively trying to clear the deck. The spending spree last winter was the result of finally getting out from under a few of those ugly old contracts. But because you can’t buy everyone, a great deal of improvement needs to come from within.
Developing players/prospects is key for the Rangers success this season – Success as in answering questions and moving players forward rather than success as in wins.
As we could have expected, the Rangers are witnessing some positive and negative developments. Poor hitting, suspect baserunning, and pitching are offering us examples from both sides of the spectrum. But manager Chris Woodward is focusing on the foundation.
Woodward isn’t just focused on winning but also focused on developing and making a solid foundation in which to build. He’s preaching aggressive hitting and aggressive baserunning. He’s praising good swings and good at-bats rather than focusing on the results. He knows, by the numbers, good results will happen when players do things the right way.
Woodward and the Texas Rangers know players like Corey Seager and Marcus Semien are going to be fine offensively. The pressure of the contracts are present but certainly not overpowering. Like the young guys behind them, the Rangers’ stars are learning a lesson in process and know things will eventually work itself out.
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It’s frustrating to be below .500 at this point in the season but the Rangers are doing things the right way and building a foundation for tomorrow. Chances are good they’ll be flirting with .500 all year long and that’s fine because this season is really about building.