Texas Rangers “Eye on the Enemy”: 3 Astros players to look out for

1 of 3

It’s been a pretty brutal couple of days for the Texas Rangers as of late, and things aren’t going to be getting much easier moving forward. Coming off a series loss to the Yankees where the team was no-hit and shutout in back to back games, the Rangers now get to have a rematch with the surging Houston Astros.

Houston completed the four-game sweep over Texas this past weekend, and are riding hot following a series win against the Oakland Athletics.

Previewing the Texas Rangers weekend series against Houston.

I checked in with our friends over at “Climbing Tal’s Hill” (FanSided’s Astros blog) late last night, and here’s some players they mentioned as worth keeping an eye on:

Tyler Ivey set to make his MLB debut.

Promoted earlier this week on Wednesday, Tyler Ivey is set to make his Major League debut during game one of this weekend’s series. Considered one of Houston’s top pitching prospects at the moment, Ivey is a 6-4 right-hander who has had solid success in the minors over the past couple of years.

More from Nolan Writin'

Ivey recorded a 1.38 ERA across 52.0 innings in 2019, and a 2.97 ERA across 112.0 innings in 2018. He’s a little bit on the older side (25), but he was only drafted in 2017, so his experience pitching in the Astros organization is still on the respectable side of things.

The interesting part about Ivey is that he actually grew up a Texas Rangers fan, so he’ll be pitching against his hometown team tonight with a good number of family and friends in attendance. The Rangers have been sputtering as of late offensively, but they’re trotting out their Ace in Kyle Gibson tonight to match Ivey.

Hopefully it’s not the best of homecomings for Ivey, for the Rangers’ sake.

Apr 13, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro (18) reacts after striking out against the Detroit Tigers with men in scoring position in the second inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports /

Catcher Jason Castro could see some action this weekend.

The second player that “Climbing Tal’s Hill” pointed me in the direction of was that of Jason Castro, the Astros backup catcher. He hasn’t been playing a whole lot as of late, but with the Rangers expected to trot out three straight right-handed starters this weekend, Castro’s name could end up being called upon rather frequently.

A 34 year old veteran, Castro actually spent a majority of his early years with the Astros before bouncing around a bit as a journeyman with the likes of Minnesota, Los Angeles (Angels), and San Diego during the later stages of the 2010s. Castro signed a two-year/$7 million this past offseason to return to Houston, and has been solid in his respective role thus far.

Across 18 games and 52 plate appearances, Castro is batting .220. However his OBP is up at .373 due to his high walk rate, and his OPS is north of .800. Above average numbers for a backup catcher.

While Castro is the least of the Rangers’ worries when compared to the rest of the Astros offense-heavy lineup, it’ll be interesting to see if Texas alters their game plan at all when facing Castro as opposed to Houston’s regular starting catcher in Martin Maldonado.

May 12, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel (10) gestures as he crosses home plate after hitting a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports /

Yuli Gurriel is a “menace.”

Last but most definitely not least, “Climbing Tal’s Hill” felt quite inclined to remind me just how good Yuli Gurriel has been for the Astros this season.

In fact, the exact wording they used was: “Yuli Gurriel is also a menace.”

I can’t say I necessarily disagree with them.

Currently slashing .333/.402/.564 with a .966 OPS, Gurriel is firmly planted towards the top of a handful of different MLB statistical categories. His 37 RBIs rank second in all of baseball behind the likes of Trey Mancini, he has the fourth best batting average in the American League, and both his OBP and SLG rank towards the top as well.

Gurriel also leads all of baseball with 15 doubles.

Outside of Gurriel, the Astros have four other players hitting .300+. Jordan Alvarez, Michael Brantley, Alex Bregman, and Jose Altuve are all smoking hot at the moment, and will collectively be looking to do some serious damage against the Texas Rangers pitching staff this weekend.

Next. Texas Rangers rumors: 3 potential Joey Gallo trade partners. dark

It’s undoubtedly going to be a tough weekend for the Rangers, a weekend that gives the team another opportunity to evaluate where they’re at in terms of their rebuilding status. Trade rumors have been flying left and right as of late – a hypothetical sweep at the hands of Houston could jolt the front office into action.

And make sure to go toss @astrosCTH a follow on Twitter, we’re all one big Texas family after all.

Home / Texas Rangers News