All four Dallas/Arlington Big 4 teams have won championships now, thanks to the Rangers' poetic takedown of the Arizona Diamondbacks this year. And the single funniest part is that the Rangers, the Stars and the Mavericks, who have all won one championship apiece...have all won more recently than the Dallas Cowboys.
Dak...no pressure, right?
I really enjoyed this Rangers team. I'm several years away from the years where I hated these Rangers teams for being too good, the guys that crushed the Yankees in the early 2010s. These teams are more likable, and with the combo of Seager, Semien and Garcia just coming down on you all the time, it's just hard to get around. Plus, with Josh Jung, Evan Carter, Jonah Heim and Leody Taveras looking like mainstays this decade, they will probably be this good for a while.
Martin Perez was one of the Rangers' big pieces of 2022, and after coming up with the team and being a big part of some tougher-luck squads, getting to compete with the Rangers must have been an awesome feeling. Perez's 2023 was not as good as his 2022, and after going 8-4 with a 4.98 ERA and 69 Ks in 20 starts, Perez was moved to the bullpen, where he had a 2.70 ERA in 15 games. Then, in 3 postseason appearances he gave up 5 earned runs, including 4 in one World Series game. At the very least, he got to win a ring with his old team, but now that his value has decreased, that may be the end of it.
2024 Prediction: An improvement in a lower-rotation role. Honestly, the Pirates really do need someone like Perez, and he might be a decent pickup for them.
After finishing 2022 with the Braves, Robbie Grossman took an outfield job with the Rangers, and by midseason he had a surprisingly high amount of All-Star votes, despite being a rare Ranger that didn't make the team. Grossman essentially platooned with Travis Jankowski, and took the majority of the starts, hitting .238 with 49 RBIs and 10 home runs in 115 games. For the Rangers that's low, but it's actually not bad for a 4th-OF role.
2024 Prediction: Has a 'veteran who hits above his pay grade and makes noise at the deadline' season for a non-competitor.
Will Smith has won 3 rings in 3 years. And if you think THAT's a fun stat, the last four World Series teams have had someone named Will Smith on it. But this Will Smith, the relief specialist, had another decent year that ended in a ring, which, hey, now he has 2 more than Kershaw. Will Smith had a 4.40 ERA in 60 games, but his 1.064 WHIP and 22 saves did make him a bit more desirable, even as Jose LeClerc and Aroldis Chapman also circled the ninth. During the postseason, Smith was mostly used as a setup man, and judging by his spottier track record in the ALCS and World Series, this was the right idea.
2024 Prediction: Does not make a World Series with the Royals, but makes for a decent ninth inning guy for them.
And the guy who closed the last out of the Rangers' first World Series win, a good trivia question for anyone looking, was Josh Sborz, who started off with the Dodgers, meaning he's been on two separate World Series-bound teams with a different Will Smith. Sborz was actually spotty in relief during the regular season this year, but in the postseason he sported a 0.75 ERA in 10 appearances, striking out 13 and only giving up 4 hits and 1 earned run.
2024 Prediction: Sborz might be the most consistent member of the Rangers bullpen next year if his postseason is anything to go by.
Coming Tomorrow- The Rays had awful luck this year, but they actually accomplished a lot despite an early exit.
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