Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The Rangers suffered an Opening Day loss to the Phillies, and that already has some fans ready to throw in the towel on the season.
There are some takeaways for fans to consider, as well as the good the Rangers can take from the matchup.1) Cristopher Sanchez Is That Good
This one isn’t Rangers-focused, but it still applies to the team. While the offense struggled to get going until the ninth inning, there is a good reason: they faced Cristopher Sanchez.
Sanchez finished second in the Cy Young voting behind Paul Skenes in the National League. He finished 2025 with a 2.50 ERA with 212 strikeouts and 44 walks in 202 innings, totaling 32 starts. Sanchez looked the part yesterday as he completely shut down the Rangers.
He went 6 scoreless innings with 3 hits, no walks, and 10 strikeouts. While it was disappointing not to see the Rangers get going until late in the game, that is the trend as Sanchez is one of the top pitchers in the game.
If this becomes a trend, I will be worried, but right now, I am not ready to be concerned about the offense.
2) Jake Burger Looks to Be the Solution in the Cleanup Spot
Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jake Burger was the best bat that the Rangers had yesterday as he went 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBIs. Two of his three hits, including the home run, came off the bat at 108 mph, showing that he was making great contact and seeing the ball well.
Anyone who watched Spring Training or saw the stats from it could tell that Burger looked like a different hitter and was ready to contribute. He had a .327 batting average with four home runs and 14 RBIs.
The Rangers are going to need more of that out of him as they will look to him to regain the power that made them decide to trade for him. Burger had a down year last year, only managing to hit 16 home runs, compared to his previous career low of 29 when he played 100 games.
He could be the perfect cleanup hitter to help protect Langford and Seager.
3) Carter Baumler Could Be a Big Part of the Bullpen
The Rangers’ bullpen didn’t allow a run after starter Nathan Eovaldi left the game, which is great to see from a group that seemed like they might struggle, and it was even better watching how Baumler performed.
It did seem like the nerves got to him a bit as he walked the first batter on five pitches before collecting two outs to follow it. One of those came against former Ranger Adolis Garcia, who he struck out on a beautiful fastball painted at the bottom of the zone.
He loaded the bases with a double and a walk, but he would get Justin Crawford to pop up. It was not the cleanest inning for Baumler, but he was able to stay calm under pressure and get out of the situation.
It would have been easy for him to crumble when he loaded up the bases, but he was able to stay calm and work out of it. With these nerves, he could find himself in big innings for the Rangers
The first game did not go as the Rangers and fans had hoped, but there are some good takeaways, and hopefully the team can bounce back.
Tags: Carter Baumler Citizens Bank Park Cristopher Sanchez Jake Burger MLB Nathan Eovaldi Philadelphia Phillies Phillies Rangers Texas Rangers