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Atop the list, as expected, are the Texas Rangers. The 2023 champions had an injury- and underperformance-plagued year. After a 22-16 start, they lost 12 of 14 in late May and slipped under .500 for good on May 21. A 12-15 August ended their hopes of winning a weak AL West. Corey Seager, Evan Carter, and Wyatt Langford, projected to be the core of the offense, missed 184 games among them. Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer combined for 12 starts and 54 innings. The Rangers ended up in the bottom ten in wRC+, starters’ FIP, and relievers’ FIP. Sometimes, you just have a year.
The Rangers, though, still have the core of that title team from ’24. They can reasonably project more innings and possibly a full healthy season from deGrom. That alone could be worth six or seven wins above 2024.
The Rangers, though, still have the core of that title team from ’24. They can reasonably project more innings and possibly a full healthy season from deGrom. That alone could be worth six or seven wins above 2024.
