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The 2023 MLB season is going to look much different than fans have been accustomed to seeing in recent seasons. There will be a pitch clock, bigger bases and a limit on defensive shifts, all changes that could make for a drastically different viewing experience. It is easy for a makeover of that magnitude to take attention away from the actual teams. The Texas Rangers, in particular, should have all eyes on them.
Every so often, there is a struggling franchise that feels brazen and decides to hit the town with an excess of cash. They are the ones who make headlines but not postseason trips. The Rangers have enjoyed two consecutive winter shopping sprees, spending an almost combined $700 million on Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Jacob deGrom. They are determined to prove that this team has just as much substance as they do style.
The excitement is palpable for fans. With a still-new stadium, new stars and a new manager, the organization is hoping they have officially entered a new era of Rangers baseball. They are feeling bold, and so are we.
With Spring Training already underway, here are three bold predictions for the Texas Rangers in the 2023 MLB season.
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3. Jacob deGrom will make more than 20 starts this season for Rangers
Projecting that a starter will not miss more than approximately 12 starts sounds like the type of glass-half-full optimism Rangers fans will not so gladly accept. Though, one should not be too picky when it comes to Jacob deGrom. The 34-year-old has had his last two seasons ravaged by injuries, making just 26 starts in that span. This prediction should be seen as a positive.
Notice, though, that there was no addendum made regarding his performance in 2023. If deGrom is on the mound, dominance tends to ensue. Texas should only need 20-25 starts from the two-time National League Cy Young to make their $185 million investment worthwhile. In last season's 11-game sample size, deGrom recorded an ERA of 2.13 and an absurd 1.24 ERA in another shortened season in 2021. Those type of numbers are not supposed to exist in this decade.
Those who need to see durability to be impressed should know deGrom had a strong attendance record in his other seven seasons with the New York Mets. Nagging forearm, elbow and shoulder injuries are of great concern for an aging pitcher, and obviously his injury issues to begin Spring Training only add more distress. However, deGrom is healthy now and has always possessed a quiet fire that propels him through the adversity.
Again, it is important not to allow quantity to overshadow deGrom's elite quality. And who knows, maybe a dose of Southern hospitality is just the remedy he needs to reclaim workhorse status.
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2. Bruce Bochy will win Manager of the Year in 2023
With analytics sometimes running rampant in this modern era of baseball, there is a growing notion that the manager on his own is not as significant as he was in the past. Gut instincts are important, but a good skipper also needs to adapt to the technological aspects of the game. Bruce Bochy can walk that line for the Rangers just as he did with the San Francisco Giants.
The 67-year-old is practically a baseball lifer who has an abundance of wisdom and big-game experience. He helmed the most successful team of the 2010s, winning three World Series titles in five seasons with the Giants. Bochy's first coincidentally came against Texas in 2010. After a three-year layoff from managing, he is now determined to help the Rangers return to those glory days.
Perhaps the biggest reason to believe in Bochy for American League Manager of the Year is the small number of promising candidates for the award. The Houston Astros are arguably the model organization in baseball, so there is little Dusty Baker could do to wow voters. The New York Yankees have unfortunately become their ALCS punching bag, so regular season success probably won't move the needle for Aaron Boone. The AL Central has a couple candidates, but a recent losing culture in Arlington and a talented roster gives Bochy an inside track.
If he is named the league's top manager, then that would allude to something special for this club.
1. Texas Rangers make the playoffs in the 2023 MLB Season
Bochy winning Manager of the Year and the Rangers clinching a postseason berth do not have to go hand in hand- Joe Girardi earned the honor with the 78-win Florida Marlins. It will be in 2023, though. This team is not just your average flavor of the month. It has all the pieces to fill one of the three AL Wildcard slots.
It is easy to get swept up in the star players, but the Rangers boast a deceptively deep roster. Nathaniel Lowe took great strides in his fourth season, hitting over .300 and belting 27 home runs. He could reasonably be an All-Star this season. Seager blasted a career-high 33 dingers last season and should join Semien and Adolis Garcia in packing quite the powerful punch in the Texas lineup.
The franchise also has a bright crop of prospects, taking up six spots on MLB's Top 100, per MLB.com's Kennedi Landry. Third baseman Josh Jung will be the one to watch in 2023, as he is expected to be the Opening Day starter. There is a healthy mix of veteran talent and potential young breakouts. This club could give the Astros a scare and should see the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Rangers fans better brace themselves for plenty of fireworks in the 2023 MLB season. Who am I kidding? They are definitely ready.
