Three Takeaways from Texas Rangers’ Frigid Showdown with Chicago Cubs

The Texas Rangers lost their first series of the year but remained in first place in the American League West.

Apr 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Tyler Mahle (51) checks Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tuckerís (not pictured) lead during the first inning at Wrigley Field. / Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers weren’t going to win every series, and after three straight series wins that streak ended after losing two out of three to the Chicago Cubs.

All three games were played in cold conditions, as the two night games showcased comical images of Rangers and Cubs players wearing hoodies underneath their uniforms. Adolis García wore a full ski mask for at least one of the games and it was warranted. Wind chills were in the 20s.  

It was not baseball weather, and it probably contributed in part to the Rangers losing two out of three games.

Still, Texas heads to Seattle with a 9-4 record and first place in the American League West.

Here are three takeaways from the series.

The Josh Jung Difference

There is enough evidence to show that the Rangers are better when Jung is in the lineup than when he isn’t. The clear statistic is that Texas is over .500 when he plays and under .500 when he doesn’t play. The rest of the data is irrelevant. Winning is all that matters.

His two games back in Chicago were a perfect example of how he can influence a game. In Tuesday’s 10-6 loss he had three hits, drove in a run and was a home run shy of the cycle. The, in the 6-2 win on Wednesday, he went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Throw in what he did in the first two games before his neck spasms flared up and he’s slashed .467/.467/1.200 in four games.

If the Rangers are to go anywhere this year, Jung must stay healthy.

Mahle’s Moment

The starting pitching was a mixed bag. Nathan Eovaldi took a loss on Monday and was unable to get out of the fifth inning. But he only gave up three runs. Patrick Corbin only went four innings in his debut, thanks to a high pitch count in the second inning. But, he only gave up three runs.

It was Tyler Mahle that had the big game, though. He started on Wednesday and went seven innings for the first time since 2022. He gave up two hits and a run in 40-degree temperatures. He struck out four and walked one.

He’s progressing fast from that 1.2 inning effort in his first start. It’s hard to argue with 13.2 innings pitched, with five hits and two runs. He just needs a wider strikeout-to-walk ratio — 12 to 7.

The way he’s throwing, he’s making the Rangers look smart for that two-year, $22 million deal from last season.

Church Chat

Marc Church is one of the few holdovers from last year’s bullpen, and even that comes with a major caveat. He pitched just one inning at the end of the campaign.

But the Rangers knew he had undeniably good stuff. He must learn to locate it against Major League hitters.

It’s been a bit of a struggle to this point. He’s appeared in four games, pitched 3.2 innings and given up two runs and three hits. It’s the walks that are worrisome early. He’s issued six free passes to four strikeouts. But batters are only hitting .231.

The sixth inning of his appearance on Tuesday was a microcosm of what a young pitcher can go through. He retired the first two hitters. Then he gave up a walk, a double and a walk before he induced a flyout to end the inning without a run.

For now, he isn’t going anywhere. For one thing, he’s well insulated around a veteran bullpen that is performing well. Second, while his Statcast percentile rankings are mostly average or below-average right now, two stand out. He has a breaking run value in the 89th percentile. He also has a 30.3% whiff rate, which is in the 72nd percentile.

Whiff rate is self-explanatory. Breaking run value is, per MLB.com, a data point that measures the impact of a pitch or play on the run expectancy. In layman’s terms, he’s having a better impact on the game than his traditional numbers might indicate.

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