There's no other way to frame it: this is a game between two clubs that have long since fallen out of the race, playing meaningful individual innings even if the standings have stopped mattering in the bigger picture. The Texas Rangers host the Athletics on Monday night at 8:05 p.m. ET in the opener of a three-game set, and while neither team is chasing October, that doesn't make this Game 1 any less worth watching — especially with Jacob deGrom on the mound.
Texas sits at 66-69 through 135 games, averaging 4.0 runs a night while surrendering 4.4, a run differential of minus-52 that tells the story of a team that's been competitive but inconsistent. The Athletics are worse off at 53-82, scoring 4.4 per game but allowing a bloated 5.7, good for a minus-184 differential that's among the widest in the league. This is a mismatch on paper, and the recent form backs it up in spurts — Texas has alternated losses and wins over its last five, dropping three straight to Milwaukee and Chicago before rattling off back-to-back victories over the White Sox and Angels. Oakland, meanwhile, has bounced around too, taking two of three from Minnesota sandwiched around a loss, then edging Houston in its last outing before falling to Baltimore.
The pitching matchup is the headline here. Jacob deGrom takes the ball for Texas carrying a 4.212 ERA, a number that reflects a pitcher who's still capable of dominant stretches but hasn't been the shutdown ace of his peak this season. He'll be opposed by Gage Jump, whose 4.687 ERA suggests an Athletics rotation that's been stretched thin all year — unsurprising given the graveyard of injuries on that roster. Both starters will be pitching for pride and for their own numbers as much as anything else, and neither has been so sharp lately that hitters on either side should walk in expecting a laugher in the pitcher's favor.
Injuries are shaping both rosters heavily. Texas is without Jack Leiter and Jose Corniell in the rotation, both on 60-day assignments, and the bullpen has been gutted by long-term absences to Carter Baumler, Jalen Beeks and Robert Garcia. Position-player depth has also taken hits with Josh Jung, Corey Seager and Evan Carter all sidelined, along with catcher Kyle Higashioka. That's a lot of firepower missing from a lineup that already ranks middle-of-the-pack offensively.
Oakland's situation is arguably worse. Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Shea Langeliers, Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson are all unavailable, stripping the middle of the order of several key bats, and Jonah Heim is no longer in the picture after being designated for assignment. Add Luis Severino and Gunnar Hoglund to the rotation absences and Justin Sterner to the bullpen losses, and it's clear why the run prevention numbers have cratered — this roster has been forced to lean on replacement-level contributors far more than anyone in Oakland's front office would like.
For the players still standing, there's plenty to watch. Brandon Nimmo and Wyatt Langford have shown flashes for Texas, with Langford posting an 18.5-point game and a 13-point game in his last three outings after an oh-fer, and Jake Burger followed a quiet stretch with a 28.5-point explosion his last time out. Joc Pederson has been similarly hot-and-cold, and Ezequiel Duran has provided value at shortstop with a 19-point game mixed into his recent run. On the Oakland side, Lawrence Butler has been the most consistent source of production, posting double-digit fantasy days in each of his last three games including a 31.5-point outburst, while Jeff McNeil has been streakier, following a 15-point game with a complete no-show.
Head-to-head this season has favored Oakland more often than not, with the Athletics taking three of five meetings, including two of the last three encounters. That history, paired with deGrom's uneven ERA, muddies what should otherwise look like a clear home-field advantage for Texas.
Still, the Rangers have more length in their lineup even with the injuries, and deGrom on a good night is capable of shutting down a lineup that's been without several of its top run producers all season. Given Oakland's inflated ERA against and Texas's recent alternating pattern trending toward a win, look for the Rangers to have the edge as this series opener gets underway, with both bullpens likely to be tested in the late innings.
