Inside The Rangers

Rangers Admit Their Series Win Over Tigers Was 'Great for the Psyche'

It was a huge result over the weekend for the Texas Rangers in their minds.
Mar 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA;  Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy (15) looks on before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field
Mar 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy (15) looks on before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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It's been a strange start to the season for the Texas Rangers.

After the Houston Astros took a step back during the winter and the Seattle Mariners didn't do anything to improve their offensive outlook, the 2023 World Series champions looked destined to run away with the AL West division.

That has not been the case, though.

The Rangers have been one of the worst offenses in Major League Baseball, and that has resulted in them firing their hitting coach to make way for Bret Boone.

So far, the outcome of that decision has been positive based on the amount of runs that have been put up on the scoreboard compared to what had been taking place. But the most important aspect of winning the game had not been there.

This changed over the weekend.

Following their loss to open the series on Friday, Texas rebounded and beat the American League's best team on Saturday and Sunday, a great sign of what could come since their struggling offense was able to hit a dominant Detroit Tigers pitching staff.

The Rangers know how big this was, admitting winning the series on Sunday was important.

"I thought this was a big game for us ... To head home, it's great for the psyche," Bruce Bochy said, per MLB.com.

Getting some confidence back in the clubhouse was the top goal of Bochy when it came to hiring Boone, adding a different voice and perspective to the equation.

The intended results have been there in the short-term.

"We're just trying to change the narrative within ourselves and within the locker room ... I think bringing Booney in has helped a lot with that, too. It changed our perspective a little bit. If you're negative, it's a game of failure. He's done a really good job of helping us move on, and see things in a different perspective," third baseman Josh Jung said.

Building upon what took place over the weekend is the next step for Texas.

They begin a seven-game homestand on Monday against the hapless Colorado Rockies, a team that just fired their manager and is on pace to shatter the Major League Baseball record for most losses in a season.

After that, it's an important divisional showdown with the in-state rival Houston Astros.

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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai