Texas Rangers Tumble in Latest MLB Power Rankings

The Texas Rangers remain in the top 10 in the ESPN MLB Power Rankings, while most of the American League West struggles.

Apr 24, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Evan Carter (32) celebrates his home / Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

We’re a month into the season and the Texas Rangers find themselves battling for first place in the American League West. And also hovering around .500.

The West looks anything but tough in the early going.

The reigning World Series champs are still considered one of the best clubs in the baseball despite the uneven start. Texas has played four series within the division – three of the five teams have losing records – and has yet to win one of those sets.

In the latest MLB Power Rankings from ESPN’s panel of baseball experts despite a huge injury setback, the Rangers check in at No. 9. That’s a fall of four spots from last week.

ESPN focused on two Rangers that figure prominently in the AL Rookie of the Year race:  

Entering the season, the betting markets saw a three-way race for AL Rookie of the Year between Baltimore's Jackson Holliday and Texas' Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter. Holliday has really struggled out of the gate under a bright spotlight, but Langford and Carter also have started slowly at the plate. Carter has contributed plenty in the field and on the bases and has drawn 10 walks (tied for the team lead), but he is off to a .215 start at the dish and still has done nothing against lefties. (He's 1-for-23 in his career against southpaws.) Langford has held his own, but as hard as he hits the ball, he is still looking for his first homer and has just four extra-base hits. As for that awards race, it's way too early to declare the betting markets were wrong, but May will be big for all of the struggling rookies.

- ESPN MLB Power Rankings

Despite leading the AL West, the Seattle Mariners are No. 14 in the latest power rankings. The rest of the division is near the bottom: Houston Astros (22), Los Angeles Angels (26) and Oakland Athletics (27).

The Rangers open a series against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night at Globe Like Field.

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