Rangers Walkoff Winners and Losers: Player Report Cards After One Month

The Texas Rangers have a month in the books. Here are the players that have shined and the players that have work to do.

Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker (left). | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

One month into the season, the Texas Rangers have a better gauge of who they are as a team. For now, they’re essentially a .500 team.

The Rangers (15-16) are heading to Detroit to start a six-game, eight-day road trip that will end in New York against the Yankees. Texas is still in the hunt in the AL West and it’s a tight race. If Texas can get out of this .500 rut, the Rangers could take control of what is an average division.

Through a month, we’ve learned some things about the Rangers. Here are the winners and the losers as the season heads into May.

Winners

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung. | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Josh Jung: The Rangers player of the month for April — and the likely American League player of the month — is one of the most productive hitters in baseball. In 24 April games, he slashed .381/.488/.655/1.103 with 15 extra-base hits, including four home runs and 11 doubles. He hit safely in 21 games. In the Majors he ranked third in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, sixth in. OPS and 10th in slugging percentage. He had the most hits in April since Elvis Andrus and Shin Soo-Choo each had 33 hits in 2019. He enters May with a slash of .317/.381/.545/.926.

Jacob deGrom: The two-time Cy Young winner is 2-1 with a 2.01 ERA entering May. He has struck out 40 and walked seven in 31.1 innings as batters have hit just .198 against him. He delivered two quality starts in April and allowed only four earned runs in five April starts. He was Texas’ best starter for the month.

Brandon Nimmo: Nimmo is dealing with a tight right hamstring, but he had the intended effect on the top of the order after he was acquired in the offseason. Nimmo has led off every game and slashed .290/.364/.460   with four home runs and 12 RBI. Texas is hoping he’ll be able to play on Friday in Detroit, either as a DH or a right fielder.

Jakob Junis: The free-agent signing has been the best reliever on the staff since the start of the season. He has a 1.88 ERA in 13 games, with four holds and three saves in three chances. He’s struck out six and walked four in 14.1 innings as batters have hit just .143 against him. He’s emerged as a reliever Texas trusts in the eighth and ninth innings.

Ezequiel Duran: The much-maligned utility infielder had a bounce-back April. He has played in 23 games and has slashed .288/.354/.424 with a home run and eight RBI. He’s pushing Josh Smith for more playing time at second base.

Losers

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Corey Seager: Of all the hitters anyone could have expected to slump, Seager would have been the last. But a month into the season he’s slashing .207/.308/.414 with six home runs and 17 RBI. He’s pacing for 30 or more home runs and more walks than in a single season of his career. But, for how, he’s trying to hit his way out of perhaps his worst slump in Texas.

Nathan Eovaldi: Like Seager, Eovaldi had a rough April. He’s been involved in every decision but his 3-4 with a 4.76 ERA. He’s allowed nine home runs, including four in one game. He allowed 10 last season. He’s coming off a quality start against the Yankees that resulted in a win and May is usually his most effective month. But, for now, he’s not where he wants to be.

Josh Smith: He won the starting second base job easily in spring training and deserved it. But his bat has been at its worst in the regular season with a slash of .193/.306/.217 with no home runs and six RBI. He’s getting a reset and Duran is taking his place — for now.

Chris Martin: The reliever is on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement but before the injury he was ineffective. Martin was 1-1 with a 7.11 ERA in eight games and lost his only save opportunity.

Danny Jansen: He may get better, but it’s been a rough start for Jansen. Through 21 games he’s slashed .209/.284/.343 with one home run and seven RBI. He hit the home run in March. His past suggests he gets better as the season continues, so it’s worth checking back at the end of May.