Reeling Rangers looking like a laughably weak threat to Mariners in AL West

Before delving into the Texas Rangers' offensive woes, we will acknowledge the hypocrisy of shading them, given the Seattle Mariners' own struggles in this area of late. This was highlighted by producing a team .745 OPS during late March/April, but then plummeting to .681 in May and going just 13-14 in the process.

However, if you think this being a case of the pot calling the kettle black is going to stop us from piling on the Rangers' tepid lineup, then you're sadly mistaken. How could we not take at least some degree of delight in watching a divisional rival struggle offensively, just two years after winning their first World Series championship?

At the conclusion of May, the Rangers found themselves sitting third in the AL West with a 28-31 record, 4.0 games back of the division-leading Mariners. This was thanks to a 12-16 record during the month that — similarly to their foes in Seattle — was as a result of a poor offensive showing.

Mariners' AL West foes have been inept all year

The thing is, though, the Rangers lineup has struggled as a whole so far in the 2025 season as opposed to just during the previous month. It makes for damning reading for the team from Arlington, Texas as of Tuesday morning, with them having scored the fewest runs in the AL West, the third-fewest in the AL, and fifth-fewest in the majors as a whole.

Breaking this down more only highlights just how much the Rangers are struggling to get it done consistently at the plate. They rank 29th in OBP and 27th in slugging percentage, as well as 28th in OPS, team batting average and walks.

The Rangers actually began the season as a real contender for the AL West crown — and understandably so — but their odds are now close to bottoming out thanks to their offensive ineptitude. As per FanGraphs, they are now at just 9.1 percent to win the division, compared to 48.6 percent for the Mariners and 41.6 percent for the Houston Astros.

Rangers' stellar pitching just not enough

What's particularly interesting about all of this is that the Rangers' pitching has not been able to compensate for the offensive struggles, despite being particularly outstanding overall. They rank seventh in fewest walks, third in ERA and opposing team batting average, while also leading the way in WHIP.

Further adding to the Rangers' plight is a ton of injuries including to the likes of Joc Pederson, Chris Martin and Josh Sborz — not that they'll get much sympathy from Mariners fans. And it only seems to be getting worse in Texas with Nathan Eovaldi now added to the 15-day Injured List, after getting off to arguably the best start of his 14 years in the majors.

Of course we don't wish ill of anyone in any way when it comes to injuries, but with the Mariners having suffered more than their own fair share, it's about time another team felt their pain. In any event, we're all here for the Rangers struggling to put together a positive run of results on the field. If that sounds petty then so be it, because you know the sentiment would be similar if the shoe was on the other foot.

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