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Texas Rangers need Marcus Semien to start hitting in the playoffs

There is little question that the Texas Rangers offense runs through both Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. In a small sample size, Seager has been raking in the playoffs, while Semien has been struggling thus far. He will need to get turned around if the Rangers want to keep winning.

By West Jones |
Division Series - Texas Rangers v Baltimore Orioles - Game One
Division Series - Texas Rangers v Baltimore Orioles - Game One / Greg Fiume/GettyImages

Marcus Semien is the engine that drives the Texas Rangers offense. Corey Seager is the team's best hitter, Adolis Garcia is the most powerful, and Evan Carter is currently the hottest. But it is Semien that ignites the Rangers to score massive amounts of runs. He has been missing in action during the first three playoff games, and will need to get his bat going if the Rangers are to continue on their winning ways.

In an extremely small sample size of just three games, Semien is 1 for 14 (.071), with a double, one walk, one run batted in, two runs scored, and four strike outs. The thing that jumps out, is the fact that Semien has only been on base twice thus far in the playoffs, and yet he scored both times. For Texas to really get the offense going and score large amounts of runs, they will need him to not only get on base but drive in the guys that are on base in front of him.

One of the great things about the Rangers offense, is its depth. There are not any easy outs and the guys at the bottom of the order can flat out hit. With that being the case, it is even more important that Semien is able to take advantage of those opportunities to either start or keep rallies going. That is what he did all season long, and there is no reason to believe that he will not do so again in the playoffs.

The playoffs are such an interesting animal, as everything within them is a small sample size. The regular season is built on a six-month long journey that encompasses 162 games spanning the entire country and even into Canada, and for some teams beyond (London series, Mexico City, etc.). With that being said it is hard to bash on a star player very much for not being hot at the exact moment that the playoffs are occurring. And I am not bashing at all, simply pointing out, that Semien is such a pivotal part of the Rangers offense, that it is important for him to start hitting.

Semien has previously shown that he can excel in the playoffs. This ride through the postseason isn't his first rodeo. He played in nine playoff games for Oakland in 2018, 2019, and the bulk of the games (seven) came in 2020. In those nine games Semien had 40 plate appearances, slashed .371/.450/.571, had one double, two home runs, scored seven runs, drove in four, walked five times, and had only four strike outs. Those numbers are top shelf, but if Semien can even just get back to his mean of the regular season, things will be looking up.

There might not be a more professional player on the Texas Rangers team than Marcus Semien, and that is saying a lot. If anyone can flip the script on a mini hitting slump overnight, it is him. And that is exactly what he will be looking to do as the Rangers square off in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles with the first pitch coming at 3:07 CT on FS1.

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