Architecture.
It's said that Rome wasn't built in a day. It wasn't built by one man, either.
The idea for this story was not my own. It came from one of you.
In the comments section of my “Hindsight on 2020” story last week, which put a spotlight on the Rangers’ impactful draft class (and undrafted haul) in the COVID-ravaged 2020 season, reader Don Holdridge posted this:
Jamey, last year you wrote a column for The Athletic about how the trades Jon Daniels made helped the Rangers field their championship squad . . . . I will admit I fell strongly into the anti-JD camp. Like many others, I felt he had run the remnants of the pennant winners into the ground with trades that failed to provide a return as well as stripping the farm system and failing to develop our minor league players. And just as the Major League team started scraping the bottom of the barrel, we lost our regional network access to the games, although I was disgusted enough with the on-field results that I really didn’t care that much . . . .
Like most of us, I don’t like to admit I may have been wrong, but your piece helped me realize I was mistaken in some of my assumptions . . . .
I believe, with the success of the Rangers in the past year as well as the bright prospects for the future, now would be a good time to rerun the story for the benefit of your new readers . . . . If not, maybe you could update it with the changes in the system that have been made since then.
I’m not sure which of two stories Don was referring to. You’re welcome to look back at both: “From Joe Nathan to Nathaniel Lowe: The chain of moves that led the Rangers through a rebuild” and “Road to Rangers’ World Series title was paved with many familiar names and memories.” But Don’s comment — and a chance to structure it into a deeper dive — left me convinced that a reissue, or a mere update, wouldn’t be enough.
The Rangers got at least 100 plate appearances or 35 innings pitched from 27 players in 2023, including postseason play (you think I’m leaving Evan Carter out of this?). Let’s break down how all 27 (plus a couple other key additions) got here — but first, I want to say this.