It’s easy to get frustrated with the Rangers. We all want them to be good. Fun to watch. Fun to root for. Frankly, this Rangers team is boring. They can put together an inning every now and then, but not often enough, and not big enough. When they do finally get runners on, they leave them on. 

You have to feel for first-year manager Skip Schumaker. He’s been bombarded with the question, “Why can’t the Rangers hit with runners in scoring position?”

His response? “I wish I could tell you why. I don’t really have that answer, but its gonna happen at some point.”

He’s right. It will happen. It might be 2027, might be 2028. It will certainly happen as soon as this team gets serious about adding bona fide hitters. 

He added, “There’s too many good players in our lineup for it not to come through.” 

Of course, you can’t blame the manager for being the PR guy. But the reality is, there are a two top quality bats: Brandon Nimmo and Corey Seager. That’s it. Josh Jung is slowly gaining acceptance into that club, but he’s not there yet—hasn’t done it long enough. Evan Carter can’t hit lefties (.065/.172/.237 lifetime). Josh Smith is a utility player. Jake Burger is solid, the kind of finishing piece in a lineup that is already stacked in other places, but not a top tier offensive piece. Wyatt Langford is unfulfilled potential. Joc Pederson is designated to do just one task and fails miserably at it. Both catchers are solid backups. 

So, where are the plethora of quality bats the manager speaks of? They’re gonna come. Just be patient. It might take a few years.

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