Who Has Edge in Epic Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Showdown?

Can the Texas Rangers stay hot against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers?

Apr 17, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) connects for a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at Globe Life Field. / Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

This weekend features one of the most highly anticipated series of the MLB regular season when the Texas Rangers host the Los Angeles Dodgers for three games at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

This series pits the two most recent World Series champions against each other. The Rangers won it all in 2023, while the Dodgers went all the way last year.

Both teams have championship aspirations for 2025 and are off to impressive starts. Texas leads the AL West at 12-7 after sweeping the Los Angeles Angels, while Los Angeles is 14-6 after sweeping the Colorado Rockies.

This promises to be an epic series with three incredible pitching matchups and massive stars on both sides in a potential World Series preview.

The games should all be close and relatively low-scoring, but which squad has the edge?

Offensively, the Dodgers have a clear advantage. Led by former MVPs Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, they boast one of the best lineups in baseball.

Entering play on Friday, Los Angeles ranks sixth in runs (93), seventh in wRC+ (118) and tied for first with the New York Yankees in home runs (34).

The Rangers, on the other hand, have sputtered at the plate. Their lineup has yet to get going and has started the year in a huge funk, ranking 26th in runs (63), 23rd in wRC+ (88) and 28th in OBP (.280).

Texas has plenty of talented hitters like Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia, but it will be hard for them to get back on track against the Dodgers' excellent pitching staff.

On the mound, the Rangers have been better so far. Their staff ranks sixth in ERA (3.44) and second in FIP (3.18), while Los Angeles ranks 13th in ERA (3.86) and 11th in FIP (3.70).

Both teams are throwing their aces in this series, but Texas seems to have the edge there. Jacob deGrom vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto feels like a wash on Friday (though Yamamoto has been better this year), while Nathan Eovaldi and Tyler Mahle have pitched considerably better than Roki Sasaki and Tyler Glasnow this season.

The bullpens have been phenomenal for both clubs, so there's little separating them there. The Rangers have a slightly better FIP while the Dodgers have a slightly better ERA, so call that one a draw.

Neither team has been great in the field, with both rating about average defensively based on various metrics.

Texas does hold a significant advantage on the bases, ranking third in baserunning runs above average according to FanGraphs (+2.7). Los Angeles, which is considerably older and slower, ranks 23rd (-1.0).

Both teams have Hall of Fame managers in Dave Roberts and Bruce Bochy, so that's a tie as well.

The Dodgers do have a rest advantage after getting Thursday off, but the Rangers have home-field advantage. Texas is 9-1 at home this year, while Los Angeles is 4-4 on the road.

Lastly, the Dodgers have a better run differential at plus-7, whereas the Rangers have a minus-11 run differential.

Considering everything, Texas has a good chance to win this series thanks to its superior pitching and baserunning. The first and third games could go either way, while the Rangers have a clear edge on Saturday with Eovaldi facing Sasaki, who's struggled with his command in his rookie season.

That said, Texas' hitting woes and negative run differential are concerning. The offensive gulf between these two teams is considerable, and the Dodgers are swinging hot bats after pulverizing the Rockies earlier this week.

Los Angeles has the more dangerous lineup and looks like the better team on paper, while the differences everywhere else are pretty negligible. The Dodgers appear to have the edge in this series, although it will likely come down to which team wins the series finale.

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