Rangers Lineup vs Yankees: New York Starter Poses Unique Challenge to Texas

The Texas Rangers have set their lineup for the second game of their series with the New York Yankees on Tuesday.

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung celebrates with Texas Rangers third base coach Corey Ragsdale. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers continued their three-game series against the New York Yankees on Tuesday facing a right-hander on the mound.

The Rangers (14-15) lost to the Yankees (19-10), 4-2, on Monday. Texas fell 1.5 games behind the Athletics in the AL West, with the Seattle Mariners now two games back, the Los Angeles Angels four games back and the Houston Astros 4.5 games back. The Yankees remain 1.5 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.

With Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler on the hill on Tuesday, the Rangers are returning to form with a lineup that leans toward left-handed hitters, six in all. Texas also must think ahead to Wednesday’s finale, which is a day game after a night game, which is followed by an off day.

Here’s the lineup and some matchups that may matter, including a unique matchup that may put the Rangers at a disadvantage.  

Rangers Lineup vs. Yankees on April 28

Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

RF Brandon Nimmo (L)

3B Josh Jung

SS Corey Seager (L)

DH Joc Pederson (L)

1B Jake Burger

CF Evan Carter (L)

2B Josh Smith (L)

LF Alejandro Osuna (L)

C Danny Jansen

RHP Jacob deGrom

Incredibly, there isn’t a single batter on the Rangers’ roster that has ever faced Schlittler, who is in his second season as a starter for the Yankees. He joined the Yankees’ rotation just before the All-Star break last season and made 14 starts for the Yankees. He and the Rangers never crossed paths.

So the Rangers are playing their general matchups against right-handed pitching as opposed to targeting hitters with past success against the pitcher. As a team the Rangers have good splits against right-handed pitching, with a slash of .248/.325/.411. Texas has hit 25 of its 29 home runs against right-handed pitching.

What’s strange about the top of the order right now is that the only batter in the Top 5 that is hitting right-handers better than left-handers is Josh Jung, who may be the American League player of the month for April. He’s slashing .348/.395/.609. As for the others:

Nimmo: .263/.352/.438 against right-handed pitching: .316/.341/.500 against left-handed pitching.

Seager: .208/.298/.500 against right-handed pitching: .219/.324/.250 against left-handed pitching.

Burger: .216/.242/.398 against right-handed pitching: .269/.333/.385 against left-handed pitching.

Note: Joc Pederson isn’t included because he’s taken just one at-bat against left-handers. For the record he’s slashing .242/.360/.355 against right-handers.

The Rangers must start correcting that slash at the top of the order. The team’s performance with runners in scoring position must change too. Texas’ slash with runners in scoring position is .247/.331/.405, which is 18th in the Majors. The Rangers’ 70 strikeouts in that situation are fifth-worst in baseball.