2 Rangers who were pleasant surprises in June, 2 who were bitter disappointments

Entering June, the Texas Rangers held a 28-31 record and were 2 1/2 games out of first place in the AL West. Texas then went 16-11 in June, capped off by six straight wins, improving its record to 44-42 and claiming sole possession of first place in the division.

Let's take a look at several players who deserve credit for Texas' strong month, and some who failed to live up to expectations.

2 Rangers who were pleasant surprises in June

DH Joc Pederson provides power out of leadoff spot

After a rough start to his Rangers career, Pederson is proving he still has some gas left in the tank. The designated hitter slashed .247/.312/.529 (132 wRC+) with six home runs, 10 extra-base hits and 13 RBI in 93 plate appearances last month, improving his season slash line to .241/.338/.474 (126 wRC+). For a Rangers lineup that has struggled much of the season, Pederson has been one of the few bright spots.

LHP Jacob Latz has been the lockdown closer the Rangers have been needing for years

The Rangers' decision to move Latz to a full-time closer role has paid off in a huge way for Texas. While he had already been performing at a high level before June, he took his game to the next level last month, allowing just two runs on six hits and four walks over 16 innings. He collected 19 strikeouts and tied the franchise record for most saves in a month with 11.

2 Rangers who were bitter disappointments in June

SS Corey Seager cannot seem to remain healthy

It seems unfair to blame a player for struggling to remain healthy, but Seager's poor health has nonetheless been a major disappointment this season. He returned from the IL on June 4 after missing a little over two weeks due to lower back inflammation. Seager didn't last long on the Rangers' 26-man roster, being placed on the IL on June 15 with a concussion. The Rangers activated him again on June 25, but put him back on the IL on July 1 with lower back inflammation, which caused the shortstop to be removed from Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning.

Despite hitting just .194 in the month, Seager had a respectable 126 wRC+ in June due to a .324 on-base percentage and .484 slugging percentage. His .158 BABIP proves he was a bit unlucky. However, the fact that Seager had only 37 plate appearances in June made it an extremely disappointing month for the shortstop.

RHP Jack Leiter lands on IL after three rough starts

Leiter made just three starts in June before landing on the IL with an ankle injury, which required the right-hander to undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove a loose body. Leiter will be sidelined until August, if not longer, according to The Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant.

Leiter struggled significantly in his three June starts, recording a 9.88 ERA and a 1.98 WHIP over 13 2/3 innings. He suffered the loss in each outing. Overall, it was a massively disappointing month for Leiter, given his poor performance and brutal injury.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow