Rangers Rally

The first Ranger to win the MVP Award may be one of the most obscure MVPs in MLB history. His award came early in Rangers history, when they were new to the league and not considered a top team. However, by winning the MVP and leading the Rangers to an alarming turnaround season in 1974, Jeff Burroughs was one of the key men who helped put the franchise on the map.  Burroughs made his MLB debut with the Washington Senators in 1969. He moved to Texas with the club in 1972 and established himself in 1973, when he clubbed 30 homers for a team that lost 105 games. In 1974, Burroughs captured the league MVP Award with a .301 average, 25 homers, and a league-leading 118 RBI's, helping the Rangers improve to 84-76 and climb to second place in the division.  Over his career, Burroughs spent sixteen seasons in the Major Leagues, including seven with the Rangers. His career high in homers was 41, achieved in 1977 as a member of the Atlanta Braves, and he led MLB in walks (117) and OBP (...

Yesterday, the Rangers signed former all-star Elias Diaz to a Big League deal. The 35-year-old catcher sports a strong arm behind the plate, previously leading his league once each in assists, double plays, and caught stealing percentage, and also has some pop in his bat, tallying as many as 18 home runs in a season. He was the MVP of the 2023 all-star game when he smacked a pinch-hit go-ahead homer in the eighth inning, eventually finishing the season with a .267 average, 14 homers, and 72 RBI's. With his combination of offense and defense, he should be able to pick up the Rangers' struggling catching staff. 

Last night, Rangers shortstop Corey Seager returned from the 10-day injured list, where he had been sidelined since May 18 with back tightness, and immediately made an impact for his club. With Texas trailing 2-1 in the sixth inning, Seager sent a first-pitch slider into the left-centerfield bleachers for a go-ahead two run home run, his eighth of the season. The Rangers held onto the 3-2 lead and took home the victory. 

Tonight, Jacob deGrom earned the 100th win of his career against the St. Louis Cardinals. Over five innings of work, he allowed no runs, four hits, and one walk while striking out eight. Ezequiel Duran and Joc Pederson drove in runs for the Rangers in the 2-1 victory.  With the win, deGrom improves to 4-4 on the season and lowers his ERA to 3.48. 

For the past few seasons, the Texas Rangers have sported one of the top pitching staffs in Major League Baseball. However, the current staff follows a long tradition of good pitching across the franchise's history. Here are the five greatest pitchers in Rangers history.  5. Fergie Jenkins Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins pitched 19 years in the Major Leagues, most notably with the Chicago Cubs. The winner of 284 career games, Jenkins pitched six years in Texas, compiling a 93-72 won-lost record and a 3.56 ERA. His best season in Texas was his first, 1974, when he led the Majors with 25 wins and finished second in the AL Cy Young Award voting.  4. Yu Darvish  A phenom in Japan, Darvish burst onto the American scene in 2012 with 221 strikeouts as a rookie and led the Majors with 277 the following season as the Cy Young runner-up. One of the most exciting Rangers in recent memory, Darvish made four all-star teams in five seasons with Texas and only misses out on a higher ranki...