Texas Rangers Seen as 'Sleeping Giant' In American League Despite Strong Start

Are the Texas Rangers a sleeping giant in the American League, even as they're off to a good start this season?

Apr 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers are off to a strong start this season with the franchise seeking to bounce back.

It was certainly a frustrating year in 2024 after winning the World Series the year before, but the team is looking forward and not backwards.

To begin the year, the Rangers are playing quite well. Even though they have had to deal with some injuries once again, it hasn’t completely crippled them like it did in 2024. Nor should Sunday's sweep at the hands of the Seattle Mariners prompt overreaction.

While expectations were high for the team last campaign, they don’t appear to have nearly as much pressure coming into this season.

This is a bit surprising considering the high-end talent that is on the roster, coupled with them being in a seemingly weak division.

With the Houston Astros most notably taking a step backward after a poor offseason, Texas is poised to retake the AL West. However, just because they have a lot of talent doesn’t mean that they are getting the recognition that they deserve.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Rangers being a sleeping giant in the American League, despite being off to a strong start.

“Despite having a minus-1 run differential, the Rangers are off to an 8-3 start. They feel like a sleeping giant destined to have a special season after a World Series hangover turned 2024 into a lost year.”

Since the hot start, Texas has cooled off a bit and they're a half-game out of first place in the American League West.

Injuries have started to creep up a bit for the team, but there is still a lot to like about this team moving forward.

In the starting rotation, they have once again been hit hard by the injury bug. With three starters currently on the injured list, the depth of the Rangers has been tested.

For the most part, players have stepped up, and it’s important that they have their talented duo of Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi healthy.

What has really been surprising for the team so far is the lack of production from the lineup. Texas simply isn’t hitting that well yet, and once that turns around, the team will be able to reach their full potential.

Furthermore, the bullpen has been better than advertised after losing multiple key players this winter. This unit still has a lot to prove when it comes to closing out games, but it's been so far so good.

Even though they might not be getting as much attention as some of the talented teams from the AL East, the Rangers are very much a threat in the league and should only get better once the rotation gets healthy and the lineup wakes up a bit.