They kicked off the home season with a dramatic comeback walk-off victory in front of a packed crowd, and they concluded it with another one on Sunday.
A nice sense of symmetry, if it weren’t for everything that occurred in between.
There were key moments in Sunday’s 6-5 victory over Seattle that perfectly reflected what the Rangers’ season could have been. It started with the electric atmosphere created by a crowd of 39,882 at Globe Life Field. Then there was a momentum-boosting three-run homer from a player who came into the season with Rookie of the Year expectations.
The veteran relief duo the Rangers had brought in delivered two flawless innings, and Leody Taveras showcased both power and speed in a game-changing performance.
All of this culminated in the Rangers erasing a five-run deficit, with Marcus Semien driving in Taveras for his first walk-off hit in three years as a Ranger. This marked the largest comeback the Rangers achieved in a win this season.
“They had fight in them,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “To come back at home this way, you really couldn’t ask for a better day. I’ve said so many times that you have to keep going and get some hits and then it gets contagious. Guys did that. And do it when you are getting shut down the way we did, it says a lot about character.”
Now, for some context. Aside from the two walk-off victories, the Rangers had a pretty average performance at home. Even with those wins, they finished the season at 44-37 at Globe Life Field, where they raised a banner at the start of the year. Last year, they secured 50 wins in Arlington, not including the postseason.
If this team had just six more wins, they would have entered the final week of the season with something significant to strive for.
As for the offensive slump that derailed their season, it was even more severe at home than on the road. The Rangers posted a .239 batting average with a .703 OPS at home, scoring only 336 runs at Globe Life Field. In contrast, last year they boasted a .274 average, an .844 OPS, and an MLB-best 483 runs at home. This season, they had the second-best home OPS in the majors; in 2024, they dropped to 19th.