Staying power.
The Texas Rangers have the best record in the American League.
And the best position player in baseball without a starting job.
Only one of those is potentially hyperbole, and I’m not so sure it is.
When Dayn Perry (CBS Sports) tweets: “I’m not saying the Rangers are the Best Organization in Baseball, but they probably deserve a mention when we have that conversation,” it doesn’t really matter where it falls on the hyperbolic scale. That it’s defensible is the point.
Very little from Prince Fielder and very little from Mitch Moreland at two of any team’s key slug positions.
Disappointing production from several key bullpen pieces.
A regression from the sophomore leadoff-hitting center fielder.
Injuries to the starting catcher and the starting right fielder.
Nothing from the player who was supposed to be the primary left fielder.
A week-long suspension of one of the team’s most dynamic players.
An ace missing for all but the last week . . . .
And the Texas Rangers have the best record in the American League.
As well as a pace, exactly one-third through the season, in spite of all those things, to win 96 games, which would match a franchise best.
Rougned Odor returns from timeout tonight. Texas has had to play with 24 in his absence — going 5-2 against two teams who would be in the playoffs if the season ended today and a third that’s the first club short of a post-season berth — and so the Rangers won’t have to ship anyone out to make room.
The bigger question is how the lineup will be affected.
Another multi-hit game for Jurickson Profar last night (that’s four in seven games, all of which he’s hit safely in), including a majestic home run that landed in a spot that’s generally Fielder territory, a monster defensive play and a great baserunning read, and simply more stacked evidence that he’s a winning piece on a winning team.
After the game, which featured a fifth-inning moment that felt very telling — Fielder following a Nomar Mazara double and intentional Adrian Beltre walk (!!) by popping up to shallow left with a green 3-0 light (designed, surely, to get Fielder going) against a flagging Taijuan Walker — the beats dropped heavy hints that Profar will not only remain on the club as Odor returns (rather than getting shipped out for a reliever, for instance), but may also retain a spot in the lineup, for now, at Fielder’s expense.
According to Stefan Stevenson (Fort Worth Star-Telegram), “Fielder may get ‘unplugged,’ as [Jeff] Banister calls it, for [a] couple days VERY soon.” Banister likely doesn’t say to reporters after the game, “What he’s done for us in the absence of Odor has really been exceptional — he’s making a really strong argument for himself,” unless he was already swayed by the argument, or close to it.
Banister doesn’t say things accidentally, or recklessly.
There was a time in mid-April when Texas unplugged a .109/.180/.109-hitting Ian Desmond (through 50 plate appearances). He played on April 15th. He sat on the 16th. The club was rained out on the 17th, and had an off-day on the 18th.
Desmond returned on the 19th, after three days down. Since then, he’s a .358/.399/.588 hitter (178 plate appearances).
Those are insane numbers.
Texas doesn’t need Fielder to put up a .987 OPS.
But .787 would be nice.
.545 just isn’t acceptable, whether Fielder is hitting 3rd, 5th, or 9th.
It’s clearly in Fielder’s head now — and that has to be tougher on a DH than a two-way player, since there aren’t opportunities to let go of the last at-bat and refocus on the defensive job — and unplugging the guy for a few days seems to be a great idea.
How long would it last? Don’t know.
Would Profar DH in Fielder’s absence?
Probably, though you could also give an infielder half a day off for a given game by DH’ing that player, with Profar holding his spot down defensively.
Three nights ago, neither Sam Dyson nor Jake Diekman nor Matt Bush pitched in the Rangers’ 5-4, extra-inning loss in Cleveland.
Two nights ago, the club didn’t play.
Last night, Diekman threw nine pitches and Dyson threw 12 pitches and Bush wasn’t needed.
Without that three-day run, maybe Profar goes to AAA today. Instead, the bullpen is relatively rested and having Profar around, regardless of his role, makes more sense for now than an extra reliever, the way he is helping this team in every phase.
No telling how long a Fielder reboot would last — assuming it happens, and it sure looks like that’s where this is headed — or how long Profar would stick, given that Shin-Soo Choo is nearing his own return.
But it gives me peace that the people in charge of making those decisions, both upstairs and in the dugout, are forward-thinking and creative and smart and singularly focused on winning, and that whatever you and I might think needs to be done to make the AL’s best team even stronger, the “best organization in baseball” in some folks’ eyes has got this.
Getcha popcorn ready.