Jacob deGrom's historic start feels like a Rangers' playoff omen

The Texas Rangers need Jacob deGrom to pitch like the Cy Young-winning ace he was in his earlier days if they're going to make the playoffs. That's exactly what they got in yesterday's series finale against the Seattle Mariners. They still lost.

deGrom made history in the process, becoming the first pitcher in the modern era to put together a scoreless start with at least 12 strikeouts and no walks while leaving with a lead of three or more runs... and take the loss.

Texas is now three games behind the Houston Astros for the AL West lead. The club trails the Cleveland Guardians by two games for the final AL wild card spot. If it feels as if the Rangers are stuck in neutral, it's because they are. The situation has been basically the same since they got swept by the Astros and lost control of the division back at the end of July.

The most frustrating part about yesterday's loss is that things unravleled once deGrom handed off the ball to Jakob Junis, one of the few reliable arms out in a bullpen that has become a horror show of late.

The Rangers are not a playoff team, no matter how much they might try to convince us otherwise

Things haven't always been perfect for deGrom this season. There have been flashes of brilliance, but there have also been clunkers. For example, deGrom put forth a similar gem on August 20 when he recorded his 2,000th career strikeout against the Washington Nationals. The next outing, he got tagged for eight earned runs over 3 2/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox.

Still, he's been more good than bad of late, and Corey Seager has looked like the Corey Seager of old for much of the time since he came off the IL on July 31. It hasn't made a lick of difference in the playoff chase. In fact, Texas has lost ground.

The biggest problem has been that the supporting cast, for the most part, has failed to rise to the occasion. That includes some key cogs like Wyatt Langford, who has been ice cold since the start of August.

Combine that with a refusal to truly address key flaws on the roster, such as the bullpen, and it's really no surprise that the team can't get in gear.

There are some very good pieces on the roster. Rangers fans can marvel at Ezequiel Duran's ability to excel at every position on the field. They can be in awe of Jacob Latz's dominance.

But they can also see that it isn't enough. The Rangers don't have a playoff-caliber roster. The quality of play doesn't deserve a shot to play in October, and if somehow, with just 15 games remaining, Texas manages to sneak into the postseason, we can rest assured that the club will quickly be bounced from the proceedings. The only real question now is what this all means for the future.

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