3 Must-Win Series for the Rangers in August

August's arrival means only two months remain in the 2023 MLB regular season. The Rangers still occupy the AL West's No. 1 spot to begin the month, but their lead isn't very safe right now with the Houston Astros breathing down their necks.

Texas is poised to secure the division's top seed after a successful trade deadline. Names like Max Scherzer, Jordan Montgomery, and Austin Hedges are all capable of helping create separation from Houston down the stretch.

It's extremely important for the Rangers to handle their business this month if they want to be in a good place come September. Some of their upcoming series this month are more important than others in that regard.

Here's a look at three must-win series for Texas in August.

Rangers Must-Win Series in August

1. Rangers @ Athletics — Aug. 7-9

A three-game series with the Oakland Athletics doesn't seem too important on paper. After all, the A's have been MLB's worst team throughout the 2023 campaign.

But even with the Athletics dwelling in the basement, this isn't a series the Rangers can afford to lose.

Every win and loss matters at this point and losing to the Athletics would be demoralizing. They're a team that ranks towards the most of most major statistics and have no business challenging a World Series contender like the Rangers (+1000 odds, No. 5 per DraftKings).

The good news is that Texas, for the most part, has dominated Oakland this season, winning five of the previous seven clashes. That includes outscoring the A's by an average of 3.8 runs in four matchups at Oakland Coliseum.

At the end of the day, sweeping the Athletics is a great (and achievable) way for the Rangers to further increase their AL West lead.