The Texas Rangers have been making their move early in the 2024 Major League Baseball season. After 39 games, they are 1.5 games in front of the Seattle Mariners for the American League West lead. Their impressive hitting is a significant reason for their success, especially in their last series against the Oakland Athletics.
The Rangers won three of their four games against the Athletics after tallying 48 hits. After having a modest five hits in their 4-2 victory on May 6, they had 19 in a 15-8 blowout victory the following day. Their bats cooled down a bit in a loss, getting just eight hits and four runs. However, they bounced back in the series finale, tallying 16 hits and 12 runs for the victory.
48 hits in 4 games.
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) May 9, 2024
We lead the AL with 347 hits this season. pic.twitter.com/5YX7EDyoYH
Second baseman Marcus Semien has been a standout performer for the Rangers, leading the team with ten hits in the recent series. His consistent form is evident in his overall performance, where he leads the team with 48 hits, a significant ten more than second-place Adolis Garcia.
Conversely, Garcia struggled against the Athletics, getting just two hits out of 16 at-bats in those four games. Jonah Heim (36), Josh Smith (33), Corey Seager (32), and Leody Taveras (31) are all above the 30-hit milestone in the first quarter of their season.
Their hitting prowess also has the Rangers leading all AL teams with 347 hits. The team and their fans hope they can sustain that success rate, especially if they enter the postseason again. But before that shot at defending their World Series title, the Rangers will have a three-game series on the road against the Colorado Rockies starting May 10.
-Lance Fernandez