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Four Texas Rangers to Watch in September

Four Texas Rangers to Watch in September

The final month of the 2024 regular season is here, and it’s been a grueling five months for the defending World Champions. The Rangers currently sit ten games back of the Houston Astros and nine-and-a-half back of a Wild Card spot. Is the season officially over? Texas isn’t mathematically out of a postseason spot, but each day looks bleak. Assuming a miracle postseason run doesn’t happen for the Texas Rangers, here are four players to zero in on when looking at the regular season’s final month.

Ezequiel Duran

It’s strange when you look at Ezequiel Duran’s 2024 season. It feels like a carbon copy of Josh Smith’s 2023 season. Then, flip Smith’s 2024 campaign with Duran’s 2023, and voilà. Smith’s success downgraded Duran’s playing opportunity, which could have contributed to the struggles. Since the call-up on July 29th, Duran is 5 for 29 with no extra-base hits.

“I’d like to get him in there, more than what he’s been playing [and] mix him in more games,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said on having Duran play more. “[Duran] hasn’t had the year he had last year. I’d like to get him more at-bats so he can finish up strong, and we can get another look at him.”

Outside sources have been putting Duran on a list for the past few years as a potential trade piece. The question is, in the offseason, what will the Rangers do with Zeke? If Duran can flourish this final month, it could make things easier to think about or more complicated (in a good way). I suspect Duran will get a lot of playing time (and Josh Smith will get less) in the final month.

Leody Taveras

There has been a lot of underperforming in 2024 for the Texas Rangers. However, one player who sticks to the idea of not taking that next step this season is Leody Taveras. Ask around the organization, Leody has the skillset to be a gifted player and a force in the lineup and on the field. In fairness, Taveras showcased that skillet in the field most of the time. Despite Leody’s defensive stats being slightly down from 2023, he still ranks in the top sixth among MLB outfielders in outs above Average and run prevention.

On the offensive side, after a downward spiral in June, Taveras has shown some signs of rebounding the past two months. But overall, Taveras hasn’t shown the growth that the Rangers hoped for.

“I think this year you look for [Leody] to take that next step, and we’re still working on that, especially from the right side. Some of those at-bats were taken away, but he’s one of the best centerfielders in the game. He can do some things offensively, he’s got power, he can hit the ball out of the ballpark,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said.

September doesn’t need to be an MVP-like month for Leody Taveras, and he’s only 25 years old. However, it’s vital that Leody showcases improvement similar to the past two months. There are a few positives in looking at 2024 to 2023. Taveras is walking slightly more, striking out somewhat less, and he’s utilizing the whole field. To Bochy’s point, there have been a few situations where the bat was taken out of Leody’s hands (tough strike calls).

“Like Wyatt, you’re always looking to get better in all areas. Leo could be bunting and be good at base stealing. This guy is a gifted athlete; he just hasn’t reached his ceiling yet. This year was similar to last year,” Bochy said.

If Taveras can put together a solid month of September, it’ll come a long way going into the offseason when thinking about the 2025 Rangers’ outfield.

Jacob deGrom

Jacob deGrom’s September expectations are a little different than some of the others. If all goes well, he could rejoin the Rangers in mid-September, his first MLB start in over 17 months. If Jacob can get three MLB starts to close the year without any hurdles or injuries, it will be a successful final month of the season.

Yeah, I wouldn’t say that Rangers fans will witness Jacob deGrom’s full potential to close out the year, but having him throw a pitch will create such a smiling uproar, which alone creates excitement come 2025. Nearly seven innings in three starts in the minors (with possibly one rehab outing remaining), and Rangers fans may get one of their wishes for 2024.

Cody Bradford

Cody Bradford doesn’t need to prove much, but with a Texas Rangers rotation that looks bleak in 2025, a good September for Cody adds clarity. Since coming back off the injured list, Bradford made six starts, allowing three runs or fewer in all of them (this doesn’t count his relief outing against the Cardinals).

Bradford is bulking up in his pitches, too, going six or seven innings in all of his last four starts and throwing at least 85 or more pitches in all of his last five starts. In an injury-riddled season (and unfortunately, Bradford was a part of it), it’s good to see length coming from a younger starter.

Over the weekend, I asked Bochy if he could let his younger pitchers (Bradford included) go a little longer or give them more leeway when getting into trouble, considering where the club is standings-wise.

“With Cody, we’re not changing anything. He’s missed a lot of time, [but] there’s no concern with the workload. We’re managing him like it’s a regular game. That doesn’t mean we’ll leave him in longer or get him sooner. We’ll run the game what we think is the best way to win it.”

I would suspect this is true of other younger pitchers, such as Owen White, Walter Pennington, Grant Anderson, and others.

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Credentialed Media Staff Writer covering the Texas Rangers for Dallas Sports Fanatic | 2014 University of North Texas graduate with a Bachelor's in Radio, Television, and Film. I talk about things. Find me on the tweeter @aplinckTX

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