Texas Rangers News: Bad kind of history, good AL West history, more

It's hard to truly drive home the stranglehold the Houston Astros had on the AL West. Since 2016, when the Texas Rangers won the division, the other team from Texas had taken the division title every single year but one, and that one hardly counts, considering it was the 2020 shortened COVID campaign.

There was a time when the Rangers looked like they might be the ones to break the Astros' iron grip. In fact, it was just last week that Bruce Bochy's squad was only two back in the AL West. Unfortunately, they faded big time, but the Seattle Mariners stepped up. The M's clinched the division earlier this week, winning the AL West for the first time since 2001.

It's never run to celebrate a Rangers' rivals' success. However, I think most fans around Globe Life Stadium would say there is at least a little bit of fun to be had with the Astros dropping out of first place.

Texas Rangers got the good Tyler Mahle back

It was too little too late for Tyler Mahle's return. The team had hoped the starting pitcher coming off the IL late in the season might serve as a bit of a push towards the playoffs. Unfortunately, they were on their way out of it by the time he came back.

There is still some good to take from his final two starts, as he was just as good as he was earlier in the year before he suffered the injury. Now the big question is whether he pitched himself into a big contract this winter or whether he might be willing to return to the Rangers on a prove-it deal since he's had injury issues the last few years.

Ezequiel Duran makes unfortunate history for the Rangers

Ezequiel Duran has contributed to the Rangers success at times this year. He's also shown to be a pretty massive hindrance at other times. Nothing demonstrates where he falls short than when the utlity man made some team history.

Duran reached 204 plate appearances without a single home run. That's the most PAs a Rangers hitter has gone without a round tripper since Elvis Andrus did it back in 2010.

Big Dumper makes history for his power

Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has had an incredible season. Now it's also a historic one. The Texas Rangers rival recently hit his 60th home run. That's more than all but four AL players have ever done. It's also more than any other catcher has done.

Now the big question is whether or not he can win the AL MVP.