Rangers' RISPy business could keep them out of the playoffs

With the 11-0 thumping at the hands of the Houston Astros on Saturday, the Rangers' offense has fallen back into a most undesirable pattern that has plagued the team for most of 2025 - a lack of hitting with RISP (runners in scoring position).

Texas went 0-9 with RISP against Hunter Brown, and it's the reason that, with just 19 games remaining in the season, and with a +80 run differential, they are still on the outside looking in on the final wild-card spot.

This Rangers shortcoming has been a theme all year

On one hand, it is rather amazing that the Rangers are still right in the thick of the playoff hunt with their 23rd-ranked team RISP average (.242). On the other hand, it is undoubtedly the one stat that you can point to as the reason that they could potentially miss the postseason despite having the best starting pitching ERA in all of baseball.

The Rangers are 1 for their last 37 with runners in scoring position. That's a mind-boggling statistic for a team that has not only kept pace with the Astros and Mariners over the last several weeks, but actually gained a few games on their AL West foes.

Just like in the first half of the season, the offense's lack of clutch hitting and pushing runs across the plate is tough for fans to watch as every game from here on out is ostensibly a playoff game.

The Rangers won't make the playoffs if they don't turn it around

President of baseball operations Chris Young and Bruce Bochy never imagined that they would be playing the Astros in September for a playoff berth with rookies and free agents like Dustin Harris, Alejandro Osuna, Cody Freeman, Michael Helman, and Dylan Moore on the lineup card every day.

But with all the injuries to veterans, including stalwarts Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Adolis Garcia, these new players are being forced into duty much sooner than anyone expected.

Yet, it hasn't even been the new faces that have struggled the most. Instead, it's been a slumping Josh Smith, an anemic Jonah Heim, and other familiar Rangers that have fallen off with RISP.

Bochy has been saying that if his team does make the playoffs with the rash of injuries, it would make for a great story, but they aren't going anywhere if they don't start hitting when it matters.