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Why the Rangers didn't have a chance at the playoffs this season
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Without pitching, the Rangers will never be a playoff team
I'm finally willing to concede that the Rangers won't snag a wildcard berth and that their shot at the playoffs this year is done.
It took me a while, but I finally realized that no matter how well they played in certain areas of the game their biggest deficiency is the only one they will never be able to overcome: pitching.
I really should've figured this out earlier. After al, I spent two seasons covering the Texas Longhorns baseball team and coach Augie Garrido. Garrido is the winningest coach in college baseball, and one of his biggest philosophies revolved around a team's starting staff and bullpen.
His thought process was simple: A great pitcher can beat the best lineup in the world if he's on his game.
The Rangers had one of the best lineups in the AL this season, which is how they've been able to win as many games as they have. But when they come up against a good pitchers, the Rangers lineup can't always get it done.
This would be OK if the Rangers had a dominant pitcher or two of its own. But as it stands, Texas has great hitting and no pitching. That's the formula of a mediocre team. One that can sniff the wildcard, but not get it. One that can score in double-digits but still lose.
Until the Rangers get a great pitcher, they just won't be able to crack the playoffs. No matter how good their bats are.
