]The Pirates over .500 and just a game out of first. The Athletics are tied for first. The Astros are in last. The Mets, with a payroll of about $370 million, are in last, losers of 11 in a row. Baseball is unpredictable, to be sure. 

Of course, the Dodgers have the best record. They should with all the money they spent. But as the Mets are proving, money doesn’t buy you wins.

The Rangers are somewhere in the middle. In fact, statistically, dead in the middle. Eleven wins. Eleven losses. Longest winning streak is four games. Longest losing streak is four games. Three wins at home. Three losses at home. Eight wins on the road. Eight losses on the road. 

It’s an average team. 

They have a better offense than last year’s .500 team. A weaker rotation that last year’s .500 team. And a bullpen just as haphazard. 

Now Texas come home for nine games. Three against Pittsburgh, three against Sacramento, three against the New York Yankees. All three of their opponents are over .500. These next nine games are going to be a good test of who the Rangers are. 

Knowing this 2026 squad, they’ll win four of the first eight, lose four of the first eight, and that ninth game will go deep into extra innings.

An average team playing average baseball. At least with the Rangers, baseball isn’t so unpredictable.

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