Texas Rangers: Why Marcus Semien will bust out of his slump to claim World Series MVP

As the Texas Rangers have been on their jaunt through the postseason, leadoff hitter Marcus Semien has been struggling at the plate. After having a great regular season, Semien has had difficulty finding his grove in the playoffs. That is about to change and in a big way. Not only is Semien about to snap out of his slump, but he is also going to lead the Rangers to their first World Series title and pick up the World Series MVP award along the way.

Why would I make such a statement about a guy who is slashing .192/.276/.231 in the playoffs through twelve games? Well, there are three key reasons and the first one has to do with a bundle of joy at home.

Marcus Semien is about to have a great World Series for his family

Many of us have all been there. Pressing work to do, but there are more important things at home that keep us distracted. I am not saying that Semien is making any excuses for his dismal performance this postseason, I am simply stating the obvious. He is a family man who has had a pregnant wife throughout the season. The couple have three young sons already and knew that they would be welcoming their first daughter into the world sometime in the middle of a playoff run if it lasted long enough.

Well, after the sweep of the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS, Semien's wife Tarah informed him that her doctor had said that she was far enough along and that an induction would be okay. This meant that he would be there for the birth of his fourth child and yet not miss any playoff games. There is little doubt that this pressure of the impending birth and navigating the playoffs had to have taken a toll on Semien. Thankfully it all worked out and Amelie Carol Anne was born on Thursday the 12th, and has three very protective big brothers, Isaiah, Joshua, and Eli.

If there was any question on what family means to Semien, all you had to do was watch his interview with the Fox postgame crew after Game 7 of the ALCS and the ensuing team photo. Marcus had all three of the boys with him during the interview and they were center stage and his main focus despite fielding questions about heading to the World Series by Alex Rodrigeuz, David Ortiz, and Derek Jeter. Then he had to head over to the center of the diamond for the team photo, and his teammates encouraged him to bring the three boys over for the picture as well. It was a priceless moment that says a lot about him and the entire team.

Now with a few days off at home, and with the new addition here and healthy, I feel like Semien is ready for a big series for the Rangers. He is going to be even more focused than normal and will be able to play his best ball, not just for himself and his teammates, but for his loving family.

Next: Semien's 2023 numbers