Post by Commissioner Erick on Sept 19, 2020 10:30:39 GMT -5
Houston Astros (38-52) @ Texas Rangers (59-32)
HOU: Joe Dyck (0-2, 5.93)
TEX: Noah Syndergaard (1-2, 2.85)
The Texas Rangers are limping into the All-Star Break on a four-game losing streak as they now sit two games behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West race. They’ll use the break to heal and rest up for a second-half push, buoyed by the fact that a number of injured players should be back soon.
They’ll make their second half charge against the Houston Astros for a rate Thursday Game of the Week.
Texas has been without Kyle Hendriks the entire season, and Martin Perez, Rougned Odor, Anthony Rendon, and Ender Inciarte are due off the IL soon. That should galvanize a Rangers team that has gotten sub-optimal play from fill-ins Luis Guillorme, Gregory Guerrero, and Luis Gonzalez. The trio has combined for 0 WAR, offsetting great seasons from much of the offense.
The Rangers have been led by All-Star Francisco Mejia. As Paul Goldschmidt and Carlos Correa fell off in June, La Cabra has had a .300 average in every month of the year. He’s on pace for career highs in Home Runs and RBIs, and it’s not inconceivable for him to have a career high in Batting Average at season’s end. When a Five-Time All Star has a career year, it means he’s doing something special, and in a league filled with good catchers, Mejia is standing out.
Three of Texas’ other four All-Stars are in the bullpen as the unit has been a special one for the Rangers. Long-time stalwart Alex Claudio was deposed of the closer role three years ago but he hasn’t allowed it to affect his performance. Claudio has continued to produce more than 2.1 WAR every year of his career after 2017, a mark he’s hit in 2024 at the All-Star Break. Claudio thrives on not allowing hard contact and he hasn’t allowed a home run this entire season, an astonishing fact pitching in Globe Life Park.
The Rangers’ actual closer, Kyle Barraclough, will join Claudio at the All-Star Game. Effectively wild, Barraclough won’t give in to hitters and has no qualms with them trying to hit high-90s fastballs on the edges or dance at sliders and changeups. As a result, Barraclough’s walk rate is high, but he also has allowed only one home run this year. With Claudio and Baraclough forcing teams to beat them inside-the-park, and Texas fielding a pretty good defense, they’ve turned in the best bullpen ERA in the league. They even have a third All-Star in their bullpen in Brad Hand who had a negative WAR in three of the past seven seasons. Hand has worked hard to keep the ball in the park and the results are a 1.13 ERA and an All-Star nod.
Those relief pitchers will try to stop a Houston team that’s in sell mode with the trade deadline approaching. Houston traded Joe DeCarlo earlier this year and with Yoshitomo Tsutsugo on the IL, it’s tanked their offense. Five players are hitting under .200 with only Dansby Swanson’s excellence keeping the team afloat. It’ll be two or three seasons until some of their worst contracts come off the books, especially as they’re still responsible for Jose Altuve’s contract. It puts Houston in asset acquisition mode and development mode where maximizing prospects like Ichisake Ochiai becomes a top priority.
Questions for the GMs:
For Bill Koepsel, you recently acquired Mitchell Stone. Tell me about him and why you dealt a fourth-rounder to acquire him?
You drafted Art Jeffers in the first round of last month’s draft? What do you like about him?
What will be your lineup strategy against the Rangers and in the second half. Will we see more youngsters or a change from the extreme power approach that characterized the team?
For Clayton Piper, what’s the status of your injured players. When can we expect to see them on the field?
You’ve allowed Esteban Valadez the ability to get experience in the PBA while working out of the pen. How has his season been to you from a development process?
You didn’t have a First Round pick this season, but how do you feel about your draft haul, many of whom are unsigned.
TRIVIA: Francisco Mejia leads pretty much every offensive counting category for Catchers in WBC performance. However, he is only fifth in Batting Average. Who is First?
HOU: Joe Dyck (0-2, 5.93)
TEX: Noah Syndergaard (1-2, 2.85)
The Texas Rangers are limping into the All-Star Break on a four-game losing streak as they now sit two games behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West race. They’ll use the break to heal and rest up for a second-half push, buoyed by the fact that a number of injured players should be back soon.
They’ll make their second half charge against the Houston Astros for a rate Thursday Game of the Week.
Texas has been without Kyle Hendriks the entire season, and Martin Perez, Rougned Odor, Anthony Rendon, and Ender Inciarte are due off the IL soon. That should galvanize a Rangers team that has gotten sub-optimal play from fill-ins Luis Guillorme, Gregory Guerrero, and Luis Gonzalez. The trio has combined for 0 WAR, offsetting great seasons from much of the offense.
The Rangers have been led by All-Star Francisco Mejia. As Paul Goldschmidt and Carlos Correa fell off in June, La Cabra has had a .300 average in every month of the year. He’s on pace for career highs in Home Runs and RBIs, and it’s not inconceivable for him to have a career high in Batting Average at season’s end. When a Five-Time All Star has a career year, it means he’s doing something special, and in a league filled with good catchers, Mejia is standing out.
Three of Texas’ other four All-Stars are in the bullpen as the unit has been a special one for the Rangers. Long-time stalwart Alex Claudio was deposed of the closer role three years ago but he hasn’t allowed it to affect his performance. Claudio has continued to produce more than 2.1 WAR every year of his career after 2017, a mark he’s hit in 2024 at the All-Star Break. Claudio thrives on not allowing hard contact and he hasn’t allowed a home run this entire season, an astonishing fact pitching in Globe Life Park.
The Rangers’ actual closer, Kyle Barraclough, will join Claudio at the All-Star Game. Effectively wild, Barraclough won’t give in to hitters and has no qualms with them trying to hit high-90s fastballs on the edges or dance at sliders and changeups. As a result, Barraclough’s walk rate is high, but he also has allowed only one home run this year. With Claudio and Baraclough forcing teams to beat them inside-the-park, and Texas fielding a pretty good defense, they’ve turned in the best bullpen ERA in the league. They even have a third All-Star in their bullpen in Brad Hand who had a negative WAR in three of the past seven seasons. Hand has worked hard to keep the ball in the park and the results are a 1.13 ERA and an All-Star nod.
Those relief pitchers will try to stop a Houston team that’s in sell mode with the trade deadline approaching. Houston traded Joe DeCarlo earlier this year and with Yoshitomo Tsutsugo on the IL, it’s tanked their offense. Five players are hitting under .200 with only Dansby Swanson’s excellence keeping the team afloat. It’ll be two or three seasons until some of their worst contracts come off the books, especially as they’re still responsible for Jose Altuve’s contract. It puts Houston in asset acquisition mode and development mode where maximizing prospects like Ichisake Ochiai becomes a top priority.
Questions for the GMs:
For Bill Koepsel, you recently acquired Mitchell Stone. Tell me about him and why you dealt a fourth-rounder to acquire him?
You drafted Art Jeffers in the first round of last month’s draft? What do you like about him?
What will be your lineup strategy against the Rangers and in the second half. Will we see more youngsters or a change from the extreme power approach that characterized the team?
For Clayton Piper, what’s the status of your injured players. When can we expect to see them on the field?
You’ve allowed Esteban Valadez the ability to get experience in the PBA while working out of the pen. How has his season been to you from a development process?
You didn’t have a First Round pick this season, but how do you feel about your draft haul, many of whom are unsigned.
TRIVIA: Francisco Mejia leads pretty much every offensive counting category for Catchers in WBC performance. However, he is only fifth in Batting Average. Who is First?
