{"id":73422,"date":"2025-06-02T11:14:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T11:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/73422\/"},"modified":"2025-06-02T11:14:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T11:14:10","slug":"is-marcus-semien-back-to-his-best-self","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/73422\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Marcus Semien back to his best self?"},"content":{"rendered":"

ARLINGTON \u2014 So begins the longest road trip thus far of the Texas Rangers\u2019 <\/a>season. <\/p>\n

And, dare we say, that may be a fine thing? The Rangers have been a better offensive team away from Globe Life Field this season than in it. They\u2019ve slashed .223\/.287\/.335 for a .622 OPS at home. On the road, though, they\u2019ve slashed .221\/.280\/.380 for a .660 OPS. <\/p>\n

The difference is in the power numbers. The Rangers have hit 76 of their 132 extra base hits (or 57%) on the road despite the fact that they\u2019ve had more at bats at home. Because of that, the nine-game trip against the Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals and Minnesota Twins may offer the Rangers a chance to flex their muscles. <\/p>\n

But, anyways, that\u2019s the next week. Let\u2019s talk about the week that was. <\/p>\n

Rangers<\/p>\n

Be the smartest Rangers fan. Get the latest news.<\/p>\n

Welcome back, Marcus Semien<\/p>\n

He is no longer the team\u2019s leadoff hitter, but because of his weekend performance<\/a>, Semien will lead off the first of these five thoughts. <\/p>\n

Semien went 7 for 8 with three walks, six runs scored, three driven in and three stolen bases in three games vs. the Cardinals. He\u2019s the only player in baseball to reach those totals in a three-game span this season and the first player in Rangers history to do so. <\/p>\n

It gave a facelift to what has been a brutal season to date<\/a>. His on base plus slugging percentage climbed a full 77 points from .484 to .561 (or, in different terms, from the worst in baseball to the sixth-worst in baseball) and his batting average is now above .200 for the first time since opening day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got on base a lot,\u201d Semien said. \u201cI got to run the bases and do what I like to do.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Rangers would like him to do so even more. <\/p>\n

The rotation is, believe it or not, still good<\/p>\n

The Rangers\u2019 starting rotation combined to allow five earned runs in the six games of this most-recent homestand. <\/a><\/p>\n

Seriously.<\/p>\n

Five. <\/p>\n

The rotation\u2019s 2.80 ERA is the lowest in baseball, the lowest in franchise history through 60 games and one of the lowest in modern baseball history through the first two-plus months of a season. Only nine teams have posted a better rotation ERA through June 1 of any year since the 2002 season, according to research conducted on FanGraphs, and all but one reached the postseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s impressive what those guys have been able to do,\u201d said right-hander Jacob deGrom who, ironically, pitched for the one team (the 2021 New York Mets) that didn\u2019t reach the playoffs. \u201cEverybody is taking the mindset of \u2018Put us in a position to win.\u2019 Go out there, try to put up zeroes and give the guys a chance. That\u2019s all we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

That they have done. The Rangers have played a league-high 40 games in which their pitchers allowed three or fewer runs and collected 26 of their 29 wins this season in those instances. They are 3-16 in the 19 games they\u2019ve played in which the pitching staff has allowed four or more runs. Only five teams leaguewide have a worse win percentage under those circumstances. <\/p>\n

Look, there is no shortage of metrics and figures to support the rotation\u2019s greatness, though this one stands out: Rangers starting pitchers have allowed three or fewer runs in a league-high 54 of the 60 games that they have started this season. Nathan Eovaldi has done so in each of his 12 starts, Tyler Mahle has done so in each of his 12 starts, Patrick Corbin has done so in each of his 10 starts, deGrom has done so in 11 of his 12 starts, Jack Leiter has done so in 7 of his 9 starts and Kumar Rocker has done so in 3 of his 5 starts.<\/p>\n

Have the Rangers been on the wrong end of balls and strikes calls way too often?<\/p>\n

The short answer? No. <\/p>\n

The slightly longer answer? Not more than average, at least. <\/p>\n

The way-drawn-out answer? OK, so, Rangers third baseman Josh Jung was called out by home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott on an Erick Fedde cutter that was well out of the strike zone in Sunday\u2019s win. Some Texas fans, understandably, took to Twitter\/X and claimed that the Rangers have been on the wrong end of a wrong call at an awfully high rate. <\/p>\n

Josh Jung thought he had a walk to load the bases. Home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott disagreed. That’s a brutal call for a team that could use a break. pic.twitter.com\/UEbqruz9Nl<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) June 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The thing is, though, is that they really haven\u2019t. The Rangers entered play Sunday having had 132 pitches outside of the strike zone called as strikes against them \u2014 the ninth-fewest in baseball \u2014 through their first 59 games. <\/p>\n

Sure, but certainly it\u2019s egregious in two-strike counts, no? Wrong. The Rangers had just 12 balls called strikes against them prior to Sunday\u2019s game. That was tied for the fifth-fewest in baseball. <\/p>\n

How about in situations where there are runners in scoring position? Sorry to burst your bubble. We hope you\u2019ve picked up on the trend. Their 26 balls called strikes with runners at second and third base are tied for the second-fewest in baseball. <\/p>\n

Now, this is not to suggest that the Rangers haven\u2019t been on the unfortunate end of some home plate decisions this season, but it\u2019s rather to put their luck into perspective. We\u2019re positive that this will all but certainly halt all complaints about balls and strikes and cease all demands for robot umpires.<\/p>\n

Right?<\/p>\n

Right. <\/p>\n

\"TexasTexas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) reacts after giving up a run during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Globe Life Field, Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Arlington.(El\u00edas Valverde II \/ Staff Photographer)New glove, who dis? <\/p>\n

DeGrom had used a black Rawlings glove for, well, ever before Sunday\u2019s start vs. the Cardinals. Instead, against St. Louis, he used a tan Rawlings glove.<\/p>\n

Why the switch?<\/p>\n

\u201cEh,\u201d deGrom said when asked. \u201cYou have however many starts in the big leagues and you don\u2019t strike somebody out …\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t finish the thought. He didn\u2019t have to either. <\/p>\n

The two-time Cy Young award winner did not strike out a single batter for the first time in his career during his second-to-last start vs. the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.<\/a> It was an anomaly against a team that has struck out less than any in the American League, sure, but deGrom took matters into his own hands. Or, rather, hand. <\/p>\n

He struck out four batters in six innings on Sunday. <\/p>\n

Must\u2019ve been the glove. <\/p>\n

The first impression matters<\/p>\n

Alejandro Osuna, specifically, has made a good one.<\/a> <\/p>\n

The rookie outfielder has reached base in each of his first seven games that he\u2019s played in as a major leaguer and has walked five times. He is one of five players in team history \u2014 including Joe Lovitto (1972), Justin Smoak (2010), Drew Robinson (2017) and Evan Carter (2023) \u2014 to work five or more walks in the first seven games of their career. <\/p>\n

You can\u2019t say it hasn\u2019t mattered. Osuna has helped raise the team\u2019s on-base percentage from dead last to second-to-last leaguewide in his week with the club. <\/p>\n

They\u2019ve got to start somewhere. <\/p>\n

Twitter: @McFarland_Shawn<\/a><\/p>\n

Find more Rangers coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Click or tap here to sign up for our Rangers newsletter.<\/a><\/p>\n