Texas Rangers Weekly Report 14: The All-Stars have arrived

The Texas Rangers finally won their first series in Oakland since 2016 this past week. The rest of the week unfortunately went downhill after that, as the team only won one game in each of the next two series series against the Seattle Mariners on the road and the Detroit Tigers at home.

The good news is that the Texas Rangers have 3 players going to the 2021 MLB All-Star game this year in Denver. Starting pitcher Kyle Gibson and outfielders Joey Gallo and Adolis Garcia will represent the American League team on Tuesday night, July 13.

Texas Rangers Weekly Report: Who’s Hot

John Hicks

John Hicks is the first player in Rangers history with 4 home runs in his first 4 games with the franchise. His hot bat even earned him a start at DH in Wednesday’s loss to Detroit. If Hicks keeps this pace up, he could put some pressure on Jose Trevino.

Kolby Allard

Kolby Allard had a really good outing this past Monday, getting 9 strikeouts in 5 innings. The only things that didn’t go well for him were his teammates giving him run support and defense behind him so he could get a win. Allard has otherwise been a bright spot since re-entering the rotation in June.

Joey Gallo

I have no words for Gallo this past week, as a torrid stretch saw him hit 5 home runs with 8 RBI’s. If that’s not enough, he will participate in the Home Run Derby in Denver as well as play in the All-Star Game for the second time in his career. The front office needs to extend him immediately after the season.

Texas Rangers Weekly Report: Who’s Not

Nick Solak

Nick Solak had a bad night on Monday when he failed to catch a routine ground ball at first which opened the flood gates for the Tigers scoring. If Solak caught that ball, there’s a good chance he could have turned a double play to get out of the inning.

You wonder when time will be up for Solak to prove himself as the future of the Rangers at second base. His defense has always been subpar, but his bat (regarded as a strength) hasn’t come around in a more concerning development. Time will tell, ultimately, but Solak’s clock in Arlington could be ticking.

Thoughts on the week

With the 2021 MLB Draft Sunday, it’s time to get Texas Rangers fans prepared for the team to draft Jack Leiter or Kumar Rocker. I know how much some fans want the Dallas High School prospect Jordan Lawlar, since he’s a local prospect.

Right now, one of the biggest issues organizationally is pitching, and both Leiter and Rocker have demonstrated this past college baseball season they are ready for the big leagues. Either one wouldn’t need that much time in minor leagues.

I really don’t see the Rangers gambling on Lawlar, waiting for him to develop in the minor leagues like past high school prospects the Rangers have drafted. Lawlar has also hinted he is really committed to playing baseball at Vanderbilt.

I think it’s smart to go the pitcher route this year in the draft. More than likely, we will have a high draft pick next season (2022) where we could use it on a high school prospect if there’s a good one. But when there’s a chance to add a high-level collegiate pitcher, it would be a mistake to pass on that.

Texas Rangers Upcoming Weekly Schedule:

July 9-11 Home vs Oakland Athletics

July 13 MLB All-Star Game in Denver Colorado

3 Texas Rangers who should be All-Stars (but probably won’t be)

These 3 Texas Rangers have made a compelling case to make the 2021 All-Star game. We're not sure if they'll get there, though.