ARLINGTON, Texas — Over the last decade or five, there’s been a lot said about the Rangers’ scouting and player development departments, but rarely, if ever, has this been the adjective of choice to describe an, um, accomplishment: Historic.
Welcome to Thursday. The dawn of a new era.
And not just because ultimately the Rangers did the rarest of rarities in 2022: They won a one-run game, beating the Chicago White Sox 3-2.
It’s who they did it with. At 7:09 p.m. as lefty Cole Ragans, the team’s first-round selection in 2016, prepared to deliver the first pitch of his MLB career to Chicago’s Tim Anderson, in left field, Bubba Thompson readied himself for his debut, as well.
A duo of first-round selections making their debuts on the same day for the team that originally selected them? Hasn’t happened since 1986. The San Francisco Giants trotted out Robby Thompson, their first pick in 1983, and some guy named Will Clark, their first pick in 1985, for their season opener. So maybe these guys weren’t fast-tracked quite like the Giants duo, but it was a significant day nonetheless for the Rangers.
“Their stories are pretty special,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “They both had to fight their way to get here. It wasn’t the traditional first-round pick where it’s ‘just let’s get them here as soon as we can.’ It wasn’t always easy or smooth sailing. It’s been a little bit of a grind for both guys.”
They represent perseverance and dedication. The Rangers value both traits. Almost as much as raw talent. Both have put the two together to forge roads to the big leagues cut from their own determination and the opportunity afforded by a team that must still consider its future even as it tries to show significant improvement in the present.
The Rangers’ goals for the season – flirting with the playoffs, maybe, but definitely with .500 – have slowly drifted out of sight. They entered Thursday a season-worst 12-games below .500. The trade deadline has passed. The time to look towards the future has arrived.
Though their roads have been rugged, Ragans and Thompson, both still 24, represent that. The Rangers have struggled to fill out their rotation all year.
Ragans, with a plus changeup, has surged in the two seasons since returning from injury. Fittingly, he got the first out of his career on a changeup, inducing 2019 AL batting champ Tim Anderson to ground out. In five innings of work, he threw 37 of his 93 pitches for changeups, splitting changes and four-seamers nearly equally. Allowed three hits and an unearned run. Solid debut.
Likewise, left field has been an offensive pit with every guy the team has tried out there sinking into the artificial playing surface like it was quicksand. They began the day with 11 different players combining for a .482 OPS in left field, worst in the majors at the position by more than 100 points.
With Kole Calhoun battling heel irritation – and hitting .169 with a .510 OPS over his last 200 plate appearances – the Rangers decided to turn to Thompson. He’d hit .304 with an .829 OPS at Triple-A Round Rock this year and stole 49 bases in 52 attempts. While there are questions about whether or not he walks enough to be considered a can’t miss prospect, Thompson has proven himself to have dynamic skills. It’s something the Rangers haven’t had in left in years.
“He’d pretty much been the best player in the [Pacific Coast] league is what our guys said,” Woodward said. “The way he affects the game, the way he plays defense, the way he runs the bases. He’s just gotten a lot better in every aspect of the game. And his talent is just off the charts. We hope he comes in and provides a little spark.”
For a night, at least, consider the result as a spark ignited.
