14 shocking numbers and statistics from the first half of the Texas Rangers season

The mid-summer classic is behind us, and ready or not, the Texas Rangers are about to embark on a two-and-a-half-month push to the end of the regular season as they fight for a spot in the 2023 playoffs. The first half (91 games actually) has been quite the ride.

From a team that won only 68 games last season, to one leading the AL West at the All-Star break, there have been some interesting, and downright shocking, numbers and statistics to go along with the opening act. Most are positive, with a few that are not so hot. Let's take a look at some of those team numbers from the Texas Rangers' first half of the season.

Days in first place: 105

The Rangers have been in first place in the AL West for 105 days this season. Before the season started, it was unclear if Texas would be able to remain in playoff contention for 105 days at this point, much less be leading the division. The lead has been up to 6.6 games and down to 1 game, but it never gets old looking at the standings and seeing the Rangers perched on top. For 105 days this year, that is exactly where the Rangers have been.

Days under .500: 0

During the last six seasons, the Rangers have been under .500 a lot of the time. Thanks to an opening weekend series sweep of the Philidelphia Phillies to start the year, this Rangers team has yet to be under .500 at any point in the season. At the break the Rangers are 13 games above .500 and have been as much as 20 games above. To have spent zero days under .500 in 2023 is a true testament to the turnaround that is happening in Arlington.

Next: run diff, stolen bases, and doubles

Rangers on the All-Star field at the same time: 6

This is something that was well documented during the All-Star Game, but when Nathan Eovaldi came into pitch the second inning and there were six Rangers on the field at the same time, history was being made. In fact, it was only the third time in MLB history that such an occurrence had taken place.

The other two times that six players from the same team were on the field at the same time during the All-Star Game was the 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers and the 1939 New York Yankees. That is some pretty good company to keep. The 1939 Yankees would go on the win the World Series that year. The Dodgers would finish second in both '52 and '53 before breaking through and taking the title in 1955.

Team slash line: .274/.341/.460

The Rangers lead MLB in both batting average and on-base percentage. Only the Atlanta Braves and their record setting home run hitting club have a higher slugging percentage. Last season the Rangers had a hitting line of .239/.301/.395. To say that this year's team is hitting the baseball better is a huge understatement.

How many times have grounded into a double play: 50

For the second year in a row, the Rangers find themselves toward the very bottom in MLB for the number of times that the team has grounded into a double play. The 50 times that it has happened this season puts the team at the 29th fewest. Last season the club finished in 30th place, by grounding into only 82 double plays.

Next: one-run games, ave w/RISP, and runs/game

Record in one-run games: 5-12 (.294 W-L%)

One of the most alarming and interesting statistics is the Rangers' record in one-run games. The team is currently 5-12 in one-run contests, giving them a .294 W-L%. The team hasn't played in a ton of one-run games but has unfortunately been on the losing side of things far too often. It is remarkable that the Rangers actually have a worse win, loss percentage in one-run games at this point, than they did all of last season.

The one-run losses became a sad joke for Rangers fans last year, as the club went 15-35 in one-run games giving them a .300 W-L%. It would be shocking if the Rangers don't get better in the category over the remainder of the season, but it is somewhat horrifying that their current record is 5-12.

Average with RISP: .297

One of the laughable head scratching stats this season has been the team's average with runners in scoring position (RISP). For most all of the season, it has been well north of .300 before dipping to .297 at the break. The current average is still tops in baseball. Even though they have a lineup that looks like an All-Star team, the struggling Padres are last in MLB with a .223 average with RISP.

Runs per game: 5.8

Coming in at 5.8 runs scored per game, the Rangers are tops in MLB in yet another offensive category. The number has come backward over the last several weeks but is still right on pace for the most runs scored in a season by the Rangers in franchise history.

Last: saves, BB/9 from the bullpen, and the best number so far

Number of saves: 16

Despite having one of the best records in baseball, tied for 6th best to be exact, the Rangers sit 27th in total saves with 16. Both the Giants and the Reds have over twice as many, with 34 saves on the season. Will Smith has all but one of the saves, with the other one coming from Jose Leclerc. With the number of high-scoring games, there has been a lack of opportunities for saves, but 16 is still extremely low for a team that is leading the division at the break. Expect Aroldis Chapman to get into the save game as the second half unfolds. After being added to the team, he has been electric and has quite the track record of closing games out. He has a World Series title under his belt and has 317 career saves.

Bullpen walks per nine innings: 3.00

This number struck me as lower than I expected at 3.00 walks per nine innings from the bullpen. In fact, the Rangers' bullpen ranks fifth best in MLB with that mark. The Blue Jays lead the way with 2.87 BB/9 and the A's are not surprisingly last at 4.89 BB/9.

AL West lead: 2 games

Although all of the above numbers are fantastic, the one number that is most amazing to me at this point in the season is 2. The Texas Rangers still find themselves 2 games out in front of the Houston Astros for the lead in the AL West. It will be interesting how the remainder of the season plays out, but thus far the Rangers have been nothing less than entertaining.