It is no secret that the Texas Rangers have been a disappointment this season. Their issues continued on Friday when they got blown out 9-2 by the fourth place Oakland Athletics.
Friday's starting pitcher for the Rangers, Jon Gray, spoke about his individual struggles this season with Kennedi Landry of MLB.com after he had another rough outing, giving up four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings against the A's.
“I try to do the best I can every time I go out,” Gray said. “It may not feel as good as last year or the year before, and that's tough.”
“These guys want to win. I know that I'm the reason they're not,” Gray continued. “So when I take the ball, it's tough. I'm trying to get the best out of myself, but it's not coming out. I work harder, I’m trying harder. I'm trying to stay in a good attitude to where I can just not get ahead of myself and think about outcomes that haven't happened yet. That'll be a big part of it.”
Gray's comments show just how defeated the Rangers feel at this point in the season. It is safe to say that many of Gray's teammates share in a lot of the sentiments he shared after Friday's brutal loss.
The Rangers now have a 63-72 season and are 10 games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West and 10 1/2 games back of the Minnesota Twins for the third AL Wild Card position. Even with one of the most talented rosters in baseball, the Rangers just can not seem to recreate the magic they had last season when they won the World Series.
Jon Gray's disappointing 2024 season
Gray played a crucial role in the Rangers' World Series victory last season, pitching 4.2 scoreless innings and picking up a win in two appearances in the Fall Classic. Unfortunately for Gray and the Rangers, he was not able to keep up that momentum heading into 2024.
After Friday's loss, Gray currently has 4.47 ERA through 102 2/3 innings and has a 7.5 SO/9, the lowest of any full season during Gray's career. Since returning from a stint on the injured list on Aug. 20, Gray has allowed 12 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings across two starts and one relief appearance, one of the worst stretches of his career.
Gray is certainly not the only reason why the Rangers are struggling this season or the only player who has taken a step back. With one year left on his contract, Gray will need to figure out a way to turn things around in order to help get the Rangers back to competing in the postseason.
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