Until a couple of weeks ago, nobody was talking about the Texas Rangers. Sure, a couple of stubborn fans continued to support the club, but, for the most part, they were seen as an afterthought.
[On this week's StewPod: Pirates' star Andrew McCutchen: "I'm looking to get a ring."]
Even when the team traded for ace Cole Hamels at the deadline, most of the analysis focused on the Rangers competing in 2016. At the time, that seemed fair. Texas was 50-52, and remained seven games out of the division lead in the American League West.
The second wild card spot was an easier sell. When the club acquired Hamels, they were just three games out of the wild card. Given the mediocrity of the AL field, though, a lot of teams were in a similar position. The Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays were one game out.The Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers were just 3.5 games out.*
The Rangers were in the mix, sure, but it didn't seem like anyone expected them to seriously contend for a playoff spot, let alone make noise in their division.
So much for that. While the New York Mets have received all the hype since July, the Rangers have quietly been just as impressive. Since the trade deadline, the Rangers are 28-15. They've made up those seven games in the AL West, and currently lead the division by 2.5 games after*completing a sweep of the Astros on Thursday. Hamels, and the other players acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies, have certainly helped, but not enough to fully explain the team's recent surge.
So, after months of believing this club was just average, is it time to recognize the Rangers as a good team now?
Most of the metrics would say no. By wRC+, an advanced stat that measures a team's offense, the Rangers rank just 20th. Their team 4.29 ERA puts them at 25th, and their 4.36 FIP mostly agrees with that assessment.
Despite the fact that the club is now in first place, they have a -13 run differential. The Rangers have actually given up 13 more runs than they've scored this season. By comparison, the Tampa Bay Rays are 70-75 with a -15 run differential, and the Boston Red Sox are 69-76 with a -12 run differential. All of those numbers indicate the Rangers shouldn't be this good.
And yet, those figures don't accurately tell the Rangers' story. Texas was once again hit hard with the injury bug early in the season, but the club was able to tread water despite those issues.*
Player Injury Date of injury Return date
Yu Darvish Tommy John surgery Spring training 2015 Will not return
Jurickson Profar Torn labrum Spring training 2015 Will not return
Derek Holland Shoulder strain April 10 August 19
Martin Perez Recovery from Tommy John 2014 season July 17
Adrian Beltre Sprained right thumb May 31 June 23
Injuries to the pitching staff were significant, as all three of those players would have started the season in the rotation. The club somehow got by without Holland and Perez, who have finally returned, and have effectively replaced Darvish with Hamels for now.
Profar has yet to prove anything in the majors, but was once considered the best prospect in the game. Due to his injury, Rougned Odor was forced into a starting role. Odor showed some skills during his rookie season, but looked overmatched to begin 2015.
After a month-long demotion to Triple-A, Odor has returned as a different player. The 21-year-old hit just .144/.252/.233 prior to being sent down. He's hit .320/.362/.566 since he came back to the majors.
Joey Gallo struggled while attempting to replace Beltre, but having a player of Gallo's caliber in the minors was a luxury. The team survived as Gallo got his feet wet, and looked refreshed after he returned.
Prior to going on the disabled list, Beltre hit just .257/.294/.408. After returning from the DL, he's hitting .281/.327/.434. That's still a far cry from what he's done in the past, but it's clear Beltre was impacted by the quad injury quite a bit.
The acquisition of Hamels, as well as the return of Holland and Perez, has suddenly made this rotation much stronger. Odor's breakout, and Beltre getting healthy shored up the lineup.
It also helps that Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo appear to have rediscovered their former selves. Fielder has been great all season, hitting .314/.383/.477 over 616 plate appearances, while Choo is hitting .315/.449/.503 since the trade deadline.*
It should also be noted that while the team's run differential isn't great, they've made a ton of progress in that area over the past two months. Since the start of August, the club has a +28 run differential. After a rough start, the Rangers are trending up.

For a while, the metrics were right: This wasn't a great team. Considering all the injuries the team had to overcome, that's to be expected.
Now, however, we have to look at the Rangers a different way. Their injured players have finally returned, and all of their hitters seem to be peaking at just the right time.*
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With their strong play, the Rangers have jolted themselves back into the national conversation, and now have to be considered strong contenders for the World Series. Not bad for an afterthought.*
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