5 Advantages To The Rangers’ postseason pursuit
Here we go! The final push for a spot in the 2026 Fall Classic. 23 regular season games remain for the Texas Rangers. While it hasn’t been an awe-inspiring, “this team could win it all” first 139 games, the Rangers are squarely in the hunt and perhaps a solid September away from reaching the postseason.
My prediction: They make the playoffs.
Why? Because they have the following five advantages:
Advantage #1: Two paths to the postseason
If ever there were a time to make the playoffs by playing average baseball, this is it.
The Rangers own a sub-.500 record on September 2nd. Yet somehow, they have not one but two very navigable paths to the postseason. They stand just one-and-a-half games back of the third AL Wildcard and one game back of the AL West-leading Houston Astros.
Wildcard competition is extensive, with the Guardians holding the third spot and the Orioles, Rangers, Blue Jays, and Twins all within four games. The Rangers must outlast them all. They’ll go head-to-head against the Blue Jays mid-September and finish the regular season with three games at Minnesota.
For the division crown, they must only outlast the Astros and Mariners. The Mariners are swimming upstream at nine games under .500 and five back in the AL West. But they do have the weakest remaining schedule of all MLB teams according to Tankathon.
The Astros have the Rangers by a nose, but Texas could pull even as early as tonight. It’ll be an absolute fight to the finish.
Keep in mind that the Rangers play the Mariners three more times in Seattle. They do not play the Astros again in the regular season. Texas holds the tiebreaker over Seattle; Houston holds the tiebreaker over Texas.
Advantage #2: Houston Astros schedule
The Astros have the toughest road ahead out of the three AL West contenders. 14 of their remaining 23 games are against teams with winning records, including the White Sox, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Rays, and Braves.
They will play that collection of teams within the first three weeks of the month, which means there’s a high likelihood that each opponent will still be jostling for playoff positioning – ergo, have something yet to play for.
Houston has played winning teams to a 27-19 record this season, ranking third-best in MLB. We’ll see if they can maintain that pace against quality teams with the playoffs around the corner.
If Houston falls prey to their schedule, Texas could have a wide-open lane to the division crown.
Advantage #3: Good ole home cooking
The Rangers play 14 of their remaining 23 games at Globe Life Field, where they have a 37-29 record this year. They’ve won 10 of their last 14 games at home.
They’ll complete a home series against the Athletics this afternoon and will host the Rays, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Mets before the regular season concludes.
Continued success in front of loyal Rangers fans will be critical to their playoff aspirations. They can afford few slip-ups, especially in their haven.
Advantage #4: Latz
In Jacob Latz, we trust. The 30-year-old, first-year closer has been tremendous for the Rangers in 2026. He has a 1.65 ERA, 234 ERA+, 0.750 WHIP, and has struck out 9.9 batters per nine innings. He has converted 27 of 31 save opportunities.
With each of the Rangers’ remaining games essentially carrying playoff implications, having Jacob Latz ready to put the finishing touch on opponents is a massive advantage.
Manager Skip Schumaker won’t be afraid to use him for one, two, shoot, maybe three innings, if that’s what it takes to get the Rangers to the playoffs. Latz is a guy you want on your side in must-win ballgames. He’d be fun to watch in October.
Advantage #5: Offensive flow
The Texas offense may be clicking at the right time. They’ve scored at least seven runs in three consecutive games for the first time all season. In that stretch, they’ve averaged nine hits and over four walks.
Ranger hitters are putting the ball in play with runners in scoring position, driving up opposing pitch counts, and picking each other up as a one-through-nine attack.
All of a sudden, there’s a flow to the offense.
Schumaker must be thrilled, as he’s voiced his bewilderment over the Rangers’ offense, or lack thereof, for much of the year.
He’s tried and tried and tried to piece together optimal lineups. Players are beginning to step up in the way he’d hoped they would. Cody Freeman has been a major boost. Justin Foscue, Jake Burger, and Brandon Nimmo continue to mash left-handed pitchers. There’s been no drop-off from Ezequiel Duran. Corey Seager is finally healthy and hitting.
Maybe, just maybe, we’re seeing a steady offense capable of a postseason berth.
Bonus: Reinforcements
Regular season returns are not out of the question for Nathan Eovaldi and Josh Jung. Eovaldi is throwing and is anxious to get back to help the team when they need him most. Knowing his bulldog mentality and craving for the big moments, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if he has a start or two in him by the time the regular season expires.
Josh Jung has resumed baseball activities and is working toward a rehab assignment. You can read the full injury update here. Duran and Freeman have filled in nicely at the hot corner, but the Rangers are a better team with their leading hitter in the lineup. Hopefully, Jung can make it back soon.
Jack Leiter, Peyton Gray, Robert Garcia, Carter Baumler, and Cole Winn could also return from injury, giving Skip Schumaker much-needed bullpen flexibility down the stretch.
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