Rangers series preview: Has Texas already drastically improved?

What a difference a week makes!

One week ago, the Royals were coming off their first series win of the year in San Francisco, hoping to get their season back on track against the Rangers. Since then, they’ve dropped five of six, dashing the hopes of many fans that this season is salvageable.

The Rangers, on the other hand, built off their series win against the Royals by winning two-of-three on the road against the defending champion Houston Astros. They now find themselves alone in first place in the Western Division with the fifth-best run differential in baseball.

The wins have come despite the loss of shortstop Corey Seager, who injured his hamstring running out a double in the series against the Royals last week. He’ll miss at least four weeks, and will be replaced at shortstop by the versatile Josh Smith. On the other hand, the Rangers get centerfielder Leody Taveras back from an oblique injury, with hopes he can finally have a breakout year and live up to his top prospect potential after hitting just .223/.277/.341 in 185 big league games.

All statistics from 2022.

The Royals will face two of the same pitching matchups they had last week, avoiding Andrew Heaney, who tied a league record by striking out nine consecutive Royals hitters at one point. Jacob deGrom outdueled Jordan Lyles last week, giving up just two runs with nine strikeouts in seven innings in the 8-5 Rangers win on Tuesday. Royals bats did wake up against Nathan Eovaldi with six runs in a 10-1 Royals rout. Lefty Martín Pérez is a sinkerballer with a good change and a cutter, who is 5-1 in 12 career starts against the Royals.

All statistics from 2022.

Rangers relievers have the second-best FIP in baseball right now, having given up just two home runs in 58 ¹⁄₃ innings of work. Bruce Bochy has also asked his relievers to go more than one inning more than any other manager so far this year.

All statistics from 2022.

The Rangers look improved, but this is still a team that lost 94 games last year. The schedule has been tough early on, but the Royals need to be able to take teams like this on at home (where they have lost 9 of 10).