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Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker looks out from the dugout before a spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in Tempe, Ariz.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Smiley Pool\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
In the spring of 1988, when yours truly was\u00a0SportsDay<\/a>\u2019s national baseball writer, the Baltimore Orioles opened the season with 21 straight losses, then and now a record. The streak grew a tail from New York to Tokyo, the kind of media following generally reserved for a world champion. Or at least a Kardashian. Us buzzards circling the Orioles only wanted to see how bad it could get.<\/p>\n Finally, on April 29, 16 games out of first place and champagne on ice, the O\u2019s beat the White Sox at old\u00a0Comiskey Park, 9-0. Pete Stanicek, called up just that morning, led off and got two hits, then kept his head even with the monkey off their backs.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t lose 21 in a row,\u201d he said of their prospects, \u201cand then win 17 in a row.\u201d<\/p>\n Believe it or not, the memory came up while considering the Rangers<\/a>\u2019 belated home opener this weekend. They return to the Globe with a fine 4-2 record after winning series against the\u00a0Phillies and Orioles, kicking off the Skip Schumaker era in high style<\/a>.<\/p>\n Of course, they started the 2024 season by winning their first two series, as well. Last year, they won eight of their first 10 games. Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n All we know for sure about\u00a0Schumaker\u2019s Rangers is that they make a good first impression, just as they did under Bruce Bochy. Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Let\u2019s consider the possibilities.<\/p>\n The good news is they\u2019ve won two series in which neither Jacob\u00a0deGrom nor Nathan Eovaldi helped much, or at all. I have a hard time believing they\u2019ll remain this bad. My concern going forward isn\u2019t the quality of their starts, just the quantity. Both have notable injury histories. Eovaldi is 36, and deGrom turns 38 in June. Doesn\u2019t seem like the kind of foundation on which to rest your fragile hopes, which might suggest why I picked them to win just 82 games.<\/p>\n But, after watching the Rangers this spring, the question seems to be if the Rangers\u2019 co-aces need to be as good as they were last year<\/a>. Effective, no question. At least 25 starts and 150 innings apiece. But Cy Young worthy? Not if the London fog has finally lifted around the offense.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo deal has worked out better for the Rangers than most analysts predicted<\/a>. Frankly, I wasn\u2019t sure what to make of Nimmo in Surprise. He got a late start, and when he turned up on the field, every square inch was covered in cloth or pads. Looked like one of Darth Vader\u2019s storm troopers.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Count me as a believer in what he brings to the table. He\u2019s transformed the top of the Rangers\u2019 lineup and remains, at 33, as bubbly as\u00a0Topo Chico.<\/p>\n Speaking of which: If you know where a brother can buy a case, slip me a note.<\/p>\n Andrew\u00a0McCutchen has made a similar impact, pretty much from the get-go. Even came up with a little team roping routine<\/a> after reaching base, adapted by his teammates with varying degrees of success. He\u2019s been so good for the club, I can\u2019t for the life of me figure why no one else was interested.<\/p>\n Unless it\u2019s because he\u2019ll turn 40 during the playoffs. If the Rangers are still roping then, that is.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Expecting\u00a0McCutchen to sustain the level of play he\u2019s demonstrated so far seems a lot to ask. But, however his season ends, I\u2019m guessing his numbers will be an improvement over Joc Pederson\u2019s last year, and reason enough to keep Joc on the shelf.<\/p>\n Josh Jung is another area of concern, though he finally put together a couple of good at bats in the loss to the Orioles. His clock also may be ticking. Especially if Ezekiel Duran continues his career turnaround.<\/p>\n Wyatt\u00a0Langford\u2019s slow start shouldn\u2019t bother anyone at the moment. He got some MVP buzz this spring, and he may yet live up to it. But if the Rangers get numbers no better than what he put up last year, that\u2019s good enough.<\/p>\n Otherwise, Jake Burger looks like the hitter\u00a0Schumaker remembered from Miami; Danny Jansen is a big-time upgrade over Jonah Heim; Josh Smith is holding his own replacing Semien; and Evan Carter is still healthy.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Corey\u00a0Seager looks his usual monstrous self at the plate, and he seems to be having a nice time.<\/p>\n My only complaint with the offense so far is that not enough hitters are taking advantage of the new\u00a0ABS system<\/a>. No lineup has seen more balls called strikes. Yet they remain reluctant ever since Carter challenged with two outs and no one on base. A no-no. But, with multiple baserunners, or from the seventh inning on? Somebody needs to tell the Rangers that, if you win a challenge, you retain the right.<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Rangers\u2019 biggest concern, though, is the back end of the bullpen. Ray Davis needs to get out his wallet and let Chris Young find a closer. Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n If the Rangers come up with a legit closer, my guess is I underestimated them. This club feels different from the last two. Sometimes you don\u2019t need long to tell. Not even 21 games, in the case of the ’88 Orioles. Pete\u00a0Stanicek was right. They didn\u2019t win 17 in a row on the way to 107 losses. Heck, it made worldwide news when they just won once.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Didn\u2019t get them any closer to a parade either season.<\/p>\n
So why should this team be any different?<\/p>\n![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775031754_150_rawImage.jpg\" "\\"#\\"")
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Could Jung and a couple mid-level prospects do it, if it comes to that?<\/p>\n