Bruce Bochy's 2026 return to the Texas Rangers should be in doubt

Last week, the Texas Rangers were back in the playoff hunt and looking like one of the hottest teams in the country. Last night, they were officially out of the playoffs, and manager Bruce Bochy was blasting his team.

Bochy blasted his team in a way that he'd rarely done as they underachieved all season long. Granted, they hadn't played as poorly as they have over the last eight games. The eight-game losing streak took them from two games out to officially out, and one has to wonder how that happens under a manager and leader like Bochy.

Should Bruce Bochy be welcomed back to the Texas Rangers?

"This was probably our worst game," Bochy said. "We looked at it. I know we've got some injuries and things, but we just just couldn't get anything going, made too many mistakes. We've got to do a better job of hitting the field; we as a staff have to make sure they do that. That’s not going to work tonight."

"We dealt with a tough week with the play. This is not how we want to finish. And so we’ll find out here over the next few games, who’s going to be out there ready to go."

It's hard to hear that a veteran manager doesn't know who is going to be "ready to go." It's hard to see a manager allow his team to fall out of the playoffs as completely as this one did. Even with the many, many injuries they suffered to key players.

Indeed, when a team is playing as shorthanded as the Rangers are, over a 162-game season, things will go wrong quickly. And yet, it's Bruce Bochy's job to make sure the team still plays as hard as it can, especially when they're in the race.

Once the season is over after this weekend, there's going to be a lot of soul-searching and examination. Whether the Texas Rangers should allow Bruce Bochy back, even if he wants to come, has to be one of those questions.