Three Players That Unexpectedly Fueled Texas Rangers in First Month

The Texas Rangers have played the first month of the season and they’re 15-14 after Sunday’s 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said it’s been a up-and-down month, especially on offense. In spite of that, the Rangers are in second place as they wind down April and head into May.

These three players have given the Rangers a significant boost in the first month of the season.

Smith has been the best hitter on the team for the first month. He’s gotten regular at-bats playing for injured third baseman Josh Jung and flourished with a .304 average, along with a home run and 13 RBI.

He’s reached safely in every start he’s made, he’s on a 16-game on-base streak, he has the most doubles (nine) in the American League and his last six hits have been for extra bases.

Smith didn’t get much playing time to end last year, so he took advantage of at-bats in winter ball, along with at-bats in spring training when players like Jung and Nathaniel Lowe were out.

He’s also maintained his standing as one of the team’s best defensive players.

Much like last season with Ezequiel Duran subbing for Corey Seager, Smith has capitalized on the chance to play every day.

Yates hasn’t been a closer full-time since the 2019 season, when he closed 41 games for San Diego and was ninth in National League Cy Young voting. Since then, he’s had Tommy John surgery and reclaimed his form last season with Atlanta, going 7-2 with a 3.28 ERA in 61 games with five saves.

After a month, the 37-year-old looks like the 2019 version of himself. While Bochy has largely avoided naming a closer, Yates is clearly the guy. He has five saves, two wins and no ERA. He hasn’t given up a hit to left-handed hitters. He has pitched in 11 games and 12 innings and hasn’t allowed a run, the longest streak to start a season by a Rangers pitcher in 11 years.

His splitter has been something to behold. Starter Nathan Eovaldi said it best after Yates closed Friday’s game.

“Hitters are telling you how good it is,” Eovaldi said.” They’re not making contact. They’re swinging and missing.”

His injury — a stress fracture of the 12th rib on his right side — is about as freakish as it gets. It’s going to keep Bradford out for another month. That’s a shame because the left-hander started the season as well as any starting pitcher in the game.

Bradford won all three of his starts, giving up 10 hits, four runs (three earned) and two walks in 19 1/3 innings. He struck out 17 and had a 1.40 ERA.

When you consider the wealth of starting pitching that the Rangers had on the injured list to start the season — Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle — Bradford’s start was a Godsend. It kept the rotation humming for its first three turns.