Three Rangers That Could Hurt Astros in ALCS

The Houston Astros will face the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship Series, with Game 1 starting on Sunday at Minute Maid Park.

The Astros and the Rangers are familiar with one another, as they played each other in the AL West Division and played each other 13 times this season. But it’s the first time the two teams have faced each other in the postseason.

Here are three Rangers that the Astros should watch going into the series.

Corey Seager

They call it ‘Postseason Corey Seager’ in Arlington, and it’s a thing. Coming off the best regular season of his career, Seager has somehow taken it up a notch in the playoffs, as the Rangers are 5-0 entering the ALCS.

After he slashed .500/.600/.875/1.475 with three doubles, two RBI and two walks against Tampa Bay in the AL Wild Card Series, he slashed .333/.733/.833/1.567 with one home run and one RBI in three games against Baltimore in the AL Division Series. If the run production seems tepid for Seager, it should be noted that he set a playoff record with nine walks in three postseason games, including an intentional walk.

Of course, Seager has an extensive postseason history from his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he went to the postseason six times in seven seasons and was the MVP of both the National League Championship Series and the World Series in 2020, which were played at Globe Life Field.

That’s Seager’s home park now, and he’ll get up to three games to hit in a park where he is incredibly comfortable.

Andrew Heaney

Surprised? Well, the Astros won’t be. For some reason, Heaney ended up facing the Astros once each of their four regular-season series. And, against a team that hits well against left-handed pitching — even its left-handers — Heaney threw well.

Heaney threw shutout baseball in his first two starts against Houston, which included 10 innings. He gave up three runs in each of his last two starts against the Astros. He struck out at least eight Houston hitters in two of those games.

The current Astros’ roster is batting .261 against Heaney lifetime. But the two left-handed hitters that may define the series for Houston — Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker — have had different levels of success. Alvarez has faced Heaney 14 times, is batting .286 but has never homered off Heaney. Tucker, meanwhile, as just 10 at-bats and has a .100 batting average. Naturally, that one hit was a home run.

Heaney started Game 1 of the AL Division Series and he would have started Game 4 of that series had the Rangers not swept. At some point, Heaney will start or pitch in relief in this series. It could be a matchup that defines the champion.

Evan Carter

In the final regular-season game between the two teams, Adolis García injured his knee and had to go on the injured list. The Rangers called up their No. 1 prospect, Evan Carter. When García returned, Carter stayed.

Carter, now batting fifth in the order and playing left field, doesn’t appear fazed by any of this. He’s slashed .429/.619/.857/1.476 with one home run and three RBI in five games. But it’s his plate discipline that is flat unnatural for a rookie in the postseason. He has more walks (six) than strikeouts (three). He regularly works pitchers to full counts. And his defense in left field is Gold Glove-level (and he won a minor league Gold Glove in 2022).

Carter’s emergence has allowed Rangers manager Bruce Bochy to alter his lineup. Two players that were hitting early in the order against the Astros this season — Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Jung — are now hitting behind Carter, and it’s working. How Carter handles the pressure of this rivalry — one in which he has never played — will be something to track.

2023 ALCS schedule

Game 1: Sunday: Texas at Houston, 7:15 p.m. (Fox)

Game 2: Monday: Texas at Houston, 3:37 p.m. (Fox or FS1)

Game 3: Wednesday: Houston at Texas, 7:03 p.m. (FS1)

Game 4: Thursday: Houston at Texas, 7:03 p.m. (FS1)

Game 5*: Friday: Houston at Texas, 4:07 p.m. (FS1)

Game 6*: Sunday, Oct. 22: Texas at Houston, 7:03 p.m. (FS1)

Game 7*: Monday, Oct. 23: Texas at Houston, 7:03 p.m. (Fox/FS1)

*If necessary