Marcus Semien Got Hot on Texas Rangers Road Trip

The subject was Corey Seager, but Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien couldn’t help but try and get himself motivated.

Semien was talking about Seager last week, as Seager was moved to the 10-day injured list for a hamstring injury. At the time, Seager was the team’s hottest hitter. Without him, the Rangers were trying to figure out who might take his place.

Semien appeared ready to take on the task.

“I’m ready to get myself hot,” Semien said.

Semien went out that evening against Kansas City Royals and went 0-for-4 in a 10-1 loss.

Okay, so it took a game for Semien to get himself hot.

As Semien and the Rangers return from their six-game road trip to host the Oakland Athletics on Friday night at Glove Life Field, Semien is now the Rangers’ hottest hitter.

During the road trip Semien batted .478/.571/.913/1.484 with three home runs, 11 RBI and five walks. He struck out just once. He had at least one hit in every game. He hit those home runs in three consecutive games.

In doing so he boosted his season batting average from .212 to .293, the highest it’s been in more than a season with the Rangers.

So, Semien got himself hot. But he wasn’t the only one.

Semien was the catalyst for a team that averaged 7.5 runs per game during the road trip. The Rangers scored at least six runs in four of the five victories. In the other win, the Rangers shut out the Royals 4-0.

The Rangers scored 12 runs in each of the final two games of the road trip. So it’s not all Semien.

“I think we’re a different team,” Semien said. “We get in those situations, runners on third, less than two outs and we have people that are calm now. Whether it’s experience or a new group here, whatever it is, if we’re going to do well this season we have to be good in those situations.”

Semien was in one of those situations in the bottom of the seventh at the Houston Astros on Sunday. The Rangers have struggled at Minute Maid Park the past four seasons.

In that inning, it was Semien’s three-run home run that blew open what became a 9-1 Rangers victory and a series win over the Astros.

It was part of a six-run inning and the start of three straight games with a long ball for Semien.

“It definitely opens up the game,” Semien said. “High pressure, tight score, late innings. It changes a lot of things.”

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy has seen the difference with Semien as Seager rehabilitates his hamstring. The veteran second baseman’s fingerprints were all over the road trip.

“Marcus topped it off,” Bochy said. “That’s what you’re hoping for. Keep it close and hope something happens where you can break it open.”

Semien has said since Spring Training that this feels like the first normal Spring Training since before COVID-19 disrupted the 2020 baseball season. COVID protocols were still in place for 2021, and the players were locked out for 99 days before the 2022 season, leading to a truncated spring.

Worse for Semien, he was part of the players’ union negotiating team, which meant finding training time was a challenge.

Through 18 games last season, Semien was deep in a slump, batting .167/.235/.222/.457 with no home runs and six RBI. He walked six times and struck out 16 times. It took Semien until May 28 to hit his first home run, which came at Oakland.

Now that Semien has found a groove, he wants to sustain it.

“When he (Seager) returns, we can really do some damage,” Semien said.

First pitch against Oakland is set for 7:05 p.m. and the Rangers are wearing their new Nike City Connection uniforms.

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