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Three Texas Rangers Players that will Make or Break this Season

The Texas Rangers seem to be rolling on all cylinders. However, with the a month and a half left of baseball these three players may determine just how far the team goes.

By Lorenzo Almanza |
Los Angeles Angels v Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels v Texas Rangers / Ron Jenkins/GettyImages
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The Texas Rangers are back! At least for the time being. The team has gone 12-2 and won five straight series in their last 14 games. Their winning ways began in August when Texas swept the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins. The team also came close to sweeping the San Francisco Giants but fell in 10 innings on Sunday.

Some changes include the additions of pitchers Max Scherzer, Jordan Montgomery, and Chris Stratton. They all have played a vital role in the team. In his latest start, "Mad Max" put on a clinic. In seven innings, he allowed one hit and one walk and had 11 strikeouts. His dominant pitching allowed Texas to beat the Los Angeles Angles Monday 12-0.

Montgomery has also pitched well as of late. He has thrown for 20 strikeouts and allowed five runs on 19 hits in his last three starts. His performance alone gave Texas a chance last Wednesday to sweep the Oakland Athletics.

Other additions to the team include moving Martin Perez to the bullpen while having six starting pitchers. The amount of depth Texas has added has allowed them to be flexible with their pitchers. Not to mention, the team is doing all this without ace Nathan Eovaldi.

Rookie sensation Josh Jung has also been out, as he went down with a thumb injury.

The good news is Texas has a variety of utility players like Josh Smith and Ezequiel Duran who can step up.

With a month and a half left of baseball, these three players could determine Texas's playoff chances.

Player 1: Corey Seager

One player who greatly drives the team's success is Seager. The former four-time all-star is hitting .350 this season. He has hit 73 RBIs, 22 home runs, and 32 doubles. Tuesday night, Seager had two home runs and 5 RBIs in the game.

Currently, he is in the race for the American League MVP. According to Fox Sports, he has the third-best odds to take home the award. Players ahead of him include Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker.

This isn't bad for a player who has missed a good part of the season. In April, he missed some time because of a left hamstring strain. This caused him to miss some time as he struggled to turn the bases. In July, he sprained his right thumb after sliding into a base.

In 2021, Texas signed Seager to a 10-year $325 million dollar contract. This was the largest contract in team history.

He struggled in his first season with the team. In 151 games, he batted .245 and had 145 hits. Currently, he is on pace to exceed that, as he has 106 hits.

If Texas can get the 2020 version of Seager, then there is no doubt Texas has a chance to go far in the postseason. Seager will have an impact on the future.

Player 2: Nathan Eovaldi

Another player who could make or break the season is Eovaldi. The 2023 all-star has exceeded expectations this season. In March, many questioned whether he would be able to still be the top of the rotation pitcher he has been throughout his career?

Yet, he is having one of the best seasons this year. Among AL starting pitchers, he has the lowest ERA with 2.69. He is also tied for the second most wins and has the second-highest win-loss percentage.

The last time he had a hot start was in 2021 with the Boston Red Sox. That season, he went 11-9 and played a critical role in Boston's postseason push. He struck out eight batters in the wildcard game while giving up one run in five innings.

He is on pace to beat his 2021 start, but injuries have derailed him at least for the moment. Last month, the team placed him on the 15-day injury list with a right forearm strain. The team's ACE hasn't pitched in a game since July 18th.

However, he seems to be making progress as of late. On Tuesday, Eovaldi simulated warming up and then throwing two innings. The next step would potentially be facing live batters as the team tries to ramp him up.

The Rangers need a healthy Eovaldi if they are to make noise in the postseason. Pairing him next to
Scherzer would give the team a perfect one-two punch.

Player 3: Nathaniel Lowe

One final player who will have an impact is Nathaniel Lowe. The Rangers' first baseman has had an up-and-down career in Texas. He was the only Texas infielder not to make the all-star team.

However, don't be fooled. He is an under the radar player who has plenty of upsize.

Last season, he won the silver slugger award for first baseman, beating out players such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He is not your average slugger, but does just enough when called upon.

During the 2022 season, he batted .302 hitting 27 home runs and 76 RBIs. This year he has 14 homers and 63 RBIs. His numbers have taken a minor dip this season.

However, he is one player you never want to count out. In July, he played a significant role in keeping the team's playoff hopes afloat. He brought in 14 RBIs, along with 17 runs and seven doubles.

His offensive impact could be the one thing that turns Texas into a World Series contender. They already know what they are getting from players Seager, Marcus Semien, and Jung. Lowe is a different story. As mentioned, he is the one non-all-star.

These next couple of months will be his opportunity to prove his worth.

If Texas can get the Lowe who has had multiple hit streaks, then things should work out just fine.

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