3 trouble spots for the Rangers that have already emerged

A week is a small sample size but it's a decently fair sample size to make an early season observation regarding any possible areas that might need to be addressed.

Good news is the Texas Rangers have started the season 6-2 so despite these three trouble spots I am about to point out, it obviously hasn't gotten in the way enough for them to lose games. But it will cause some grief or strife throughout the season if the areas aren't addressed properly.

Here are three potential trouble spots that have started to peek out in the team's first eight games of 2025.

Injuries are slowing and/or pausing momentum of young players

Matching the theme of the 2024 Texas Rangers, injuries have hurt young players early, severley halting any momentum and contributing day after day.

All of it began when Josh Jung left in the late innings of the Rangers' second game of the season with neck stiffness. The next day he was placed on the 10-Day IL and has since missed the last six games. While Jung only had seven at-bats he was 3-for-7 with a home run. He also provides Gold Glove caliber defense so there's no doubt his production is being missed.

Jack Leiter was also the most recent young player to hit the injured list with a blister on his right middle finger. This one might sting a bit more when his time in the rotation comes around after he's started the season 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in 10 innings of work.

It also has the ability to kill any positive momentum that Leiter had gained after five shutout innings against the Reds earlier this week. For any young player, you want to keep rolling in the success and now having to miss at least two starts while the blister heals is a momentum killer.

The offensive production has been a real struggle for Texas

Entering Saturday, the Rangers batting average as a team, .195, is ranked 25th in Major League Baseball through the first eight games of the year. They are also failing to get on base, score runs, hit for power and draw walks.

The top two in the order: Marcus Semien and Corey Seager did turn on the production Friday night, each contributing a hit with Semien recording a run and RBI in their four year fourth inning. But outside of that they are struggling, hitting 8-for-50 and two RBIs.

Texas has won six games thanks to their sparkling starting pitching and the offensive production from a select few, including Wyatt Langford. The new guys, Joc Pederson and Jake Burger, also need to step up and finally find their groove.

If you watched the Rangers game on Friday against Tampa Bay that is the ideal offesnsive gameplan: knocking hard singles, doubles down the lines and the occasional home run. It seems that early on in the season, Texas has been swinging for the fences majority of the time.

Who will the Rangers turn to in the backend of the Rangers' rotation?

In four of the Rangers' last five games the starting rotation has thrown 24 scoreless innings and has a staff have a 2.27 ERA in eight games.

The stars of that are the two aces, Nathan Eovalid and Jacob deGrom, and the youngster Jack Leiter. Even Tyler Mahle rebounded from a tough season opener to throw five scoreless innings on Friday.

Where the rotation gets questionable is Kumar Rocker's spot. Rocker got tattooed by the Reds for six earned runs in only three innings of work in his first start of the season. Now it's not fair to say Rocker will never find his groove but if there is any question mark in this staff, it's Rocker.

Leiter's trip to the IL also adds some worry since the corresponding move was to recall veteran lefty Patrick Corbin from the minor leagues, who in my opinion, is one of the worst pitchers of recent seasons. While Corbin eats innings, he hasn't posted an ERA below 5.00 in the last four seasons. That's not the answer and if the offense continues to struggle, Texas will need the best pitching they can get.