Texas Rangers: 4 takeaways from an awesomely important weekend

The Texas Rangers are coming off one of their best weekends of the year, and it couldn’t come at a better time.

With July fast approaching, the organization’s draft and trade deadline plans should start coming into focus, as both major events occur in the upcoming month. The Rangers will of course be picking 2nd in the draft and will be sellers on and around the July 30 trading deadline.

In addition, the 2021 All-Star Game in Colorado is around the bend, with the Rangers likely to send a couple of representatives to the Midsummer Classic.

It’s all coming together for the Texas Rangers, as we begin to say farewell to June and hello to perhaps the most important month of the season for the team. Here are 4 takeaways from an awesome and important last weekend of June.

Takeaway #1: Texas Rangers get first sweep in over a month

You won’t see this team achieve many sweeps in 2021, so the few that they’ve managed to pull off this season should be relished.

Sure, the Texas Rangers have a random but definitive ownership of the KC Royals that dates back decades, but hey, a sweep is a sweep.

Runs were scored in droves, the pitching stepped up and the Rangers were able to secure arguably 3 of their most complete team wins this season, never mind the fact that they were also consecutive in nature, which is the cherry on top.

Down the Texas Rangers might be in the standings and in baseball overall, but they’re not playing as though they’re completely out of the picture and were rewarded with their first sweep since disposing of the Astros at home in late May.

Takeaway #3: Trade deadline assets performed well for the Texas Rangers

This is perhaps the most significant takeaway from the weekend triumph over the KC Royals.

For a team like the Texas Rangers that is going to enter total sell-off mode come July and the trade deadline, they need their best trade pieces to perform well in their final auditions before being shipped off to likely contenders next month.

Well, that definitely went right for the Rangers this past weekend.

First, ace Kyle Gibson (pictured above), tossed a gem on Saturday in an 8-0 Rangers win, going seven shutout innings and striking out 10 while walking just one and allowing two hits. It was a masterpiece and lowered the potential AL All-Star’s ERA to 2.00 on the season. That’s a great look for his trade value come July.

On the offensive side, Joey Gallo appears to heating up in a massive way. The slugging right fielder had himself a series, with three homers and seven (!) RBIs over the three games against the Royals. In his last seven games, he has four homers and eight RBIs to go along with an .818 OPS. That’ll play!

Oh, and he’s still a great defender in right field. Think teams will be putting Gallo back on their trade radars this July?

It also helps that closer Ian Kennedy tossed two scoreless innings in two appearances against his former team over the weekend, enhancing what was already a robust trade value for him.

And keep an eye on reliever Spencer Patton, who has a sparkling 1.13 ERA out of the pen.

Takeaway #4: Adolis Garcia is the lone Texas Rangers’ All-Star finalist

Rangers fans, you did great in the first round of fan voting for the 2021 All-Star game, because OF Adolis “El Bombi” Garcia is officially a finalist at his position in the AL ahead of the big event in Colorado!

It’s exciting and encouraging news, as Garcia deserves this opportunity so much given his incredible burst onto the scene this season.

Bombi is third in the AL in homers and finished behind only Aaron Judge, Mike Trout and Byron Buxton in Phase 1 voting. And with Trout and Buxton expected to sit out this year, it’s possible Garcia could get a starting nod through either Phase 2 voting or through injury replacement.

How cool would that be? If you want to see the likely AL Rookie of the Year so far start at the All-Star Game in Colorado, keep that same voting energy from Phase 1 and let’s make it happen!