Rangers All-Star Break Power Ranking Points To Clear Trade Deadline Path

Texas is in a position to make some big moves in a couple of weeks.

Brandon Nimmo and Skip Schumaker | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Going into the All-Star break, the Texas Rangers are leading the American League West Division by 1.5 games over the Seattle Mariners. The Rangers have been in some stretches this season and struggled in others. However, with a division that is there for the taking and an American League wild-card race that is also there for the taking, Texas has two clear paths to the postseason in the fall.

Texas entered the break winning two out of three over their in-state rivals, the Houston Astros, at home. It was a series win that they needed to put a little separation between themselves and the once-surging Astros.

When the break ends this upcoming weekend, the Rangers have a difficult stretch beginning on Friday night on the road against the Atlanta Braves. They will then return home to face the Chicago White Sox, who are getting healthy and are tied for first place in the American League Central Division with the Cleveland Guardians. The trade deadline is a couple of weeks away on August 3 and there are going to be some interesting decisions made by the front office.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report dropped his latest MLB Power Rankings going into the All-Star break, and despite winning a pair of series against the Astros and Los Angeles Angels, Texas remained at No. 14.

Rangers All-Star Break Power Ranking Points Toward Buying at the Trade Deadline

Texas Rangers celebrate | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Let's be honest, the AL West is wide-open right now. It is begging for one team to take control of it, yet nobody has. Winning 81 or 82 games might be good enough to win it if somebody doesn't begin to separate from the rest of the pack. That includes Texas, who is getting closer to having Jordan Montgomery return from an injury.

"They are now 17-10 in one-run games, leading the AL West in spite of a minus-15 run differential. And don't look now, but Jordan Montgomery is nearing a return to the big leagues, five starts into his rehab assignment,'' wrote Miller.

What was impressive about the 4-2 stretch going into the break is that the Rangers were tied entering the last inning of each game they won before finding different ways to pull them out. Each win like that is going to point the front office down the road of being buyers at the trade deadline and why not?

Texas could use another starting pitcher to strengthen its rotation, but maybe the biggest reason to be a buyer is how winnable the American League as a whole is.