ARLINGTON, Texas — Rosters don’t officially have to be set for the American League Championship Series until 10 a.m. CT on Sunday, the day of Game 1.
The big question mark surrounding the Texas Rangers right now isn’t the lineup, as the offense is as locked in as it’s going to get. It’s not the bullpen, either, as unlikely as that seemed before October. Not only has Jose Leclerc been the anchor Texas so desperately needs, but the rest of the bullpen has allowed a total of four runs in five postseason games.
The big question for Texas is the rotation and if Max Scherzer can complete a miraculous recovery to be added to a pitching staff that has largely carried this Rangers team through two sweeps of the AL East’s biggest and baddest in the playoffs.
“Ready to go”
The 39-year-old Scherzer is a future Hall of Famer and winner of over 200 career games. With a demeanor that has earned him the nickname “Mad Max” and gamesmanship that could very easily translate into a career in managing or motivational speaking, Scherzer has embodied everything one could want in a starting pitcher in a big moment.
Since coming over as a trade deadline acquisition, Scherzer had been everything that Texas had hoped for. However, on September 13th, Scherzer’s tenure with the Rangers came to a screeching pause as he exited a start with a strained teres major muscle in his shoulder. His status for the regular season was determined – he was out. His status for the postseason was almost assuredly the same.
But then the Rangers swept the Tampa Bay Rays, and Scherzer loosened up and threw after he had ramped up activities from an injury that usually takes eight weeks of rehab. After a bullpen session ahead of the ALDS, the righty was left off the roster but labeled as a potential injury replacement. Texas swept the Orioles without issue and Scherzer was granted more time to recuperate.
Now, with a monumental showdown with the Houston Astros on the horizon in the ALCS, the 2019 World Series champion came away from a 68-pitch simulated game on Wednesday and another bullpen on Friday with one message:
“I’m ready to go.”
With a tense battle between MLB’s two Texas squads ahead, it seems like a virtual lock that Scherzer is going to get his way and make the Championship Series roster. If that transpires, some maneuvering will need to be done on the pitching side to get Scherzer on, but those moves may not be that difficult.
The Rangers have only had four games started by true members of their rotation through the first five games of the playoffs, and they only used two of them. Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi have started four of the five games for Texas so far this October. In the opener of the Division Series against Baltimore, Texas essentially threw a bullpen game, sending Andrew Heaney to the hill for 3 ⅔ innings and usual starter Dane Dunning followed up for two innings.
Montgomery has been tabbed for Games 1 against Justin Verlander at Minute Maid Park and Nathan Eovaldi will surely follow in Game 2. Dunning, the chameleon of the staff, could start Game 3. Then again, so could Scherzer. With Jon Gray (forearm strain) another potential option but one that seems less likely that Scherzer, the Rangers would appear to have their rotation set. Backing up any of those four are the multi-inning reliever trio of Heaney, Cody Bradford and Martin Perez.
Bradford saved the day in Game 2 in Baltimore after Montgomery gave up five runs in four laborious innings. Bradford was able to give Texas 3 ⅔ shutout innings of relief in the critical victory. Perez, meanwhile, hasn’t pitched yet though he was potentially lined up to start Game 4 of the ALDS if it had been necessary.
With Scherzer likely back, and everyone else rested, things set up nicely for a suddenly deep starting rotation that was already a successful unit back when Heaney and Perez were pitching as true starters. Any of Dunning, Heaney, Perez, or Bradford could be used as pure relief options for an inning or two or to piggyback for multiple innings.
Speaking of the bullpen, manager Bruce Bochy carried 13 relievers in each of the first two postseason series. Because of the efficiency of the starters so far, there are two relievers that Bochy hasn’t had to use with Matt Bush and Chris Stratton awaiting their first action in the postseason.
Stratton is another multi-inning pitcher, and while he struggled mightily down the stretch, there’s enough equity in how he pitched in August for Texas that he can be a 5th-7th inning option. Bush, meanwhile, hasn’t pitched in a big league game since June and didn’t make an appearance for Texas after returning from his stint playing with Milwaukee. Even though there is an opportunity for a “prodigal son returns” story, it stands to reason that Bush would be the odd man out if Scherzer is, as he said, ready to go.
With that in mind, this is how the pitching staff could shake out to be in the best-of-7 American League Championship Series:
- Starters: Jordan Montgomery, Nathan Eovaldi, Max Scherzer, Dane Dunning
- Long relief: Cody Bradford, Andrew Heaney, Martin Perez, Chris Stratton
- Late innings relief: Brock Burke, Josh Sborz, Will Smith, Aroldis Chapman, Jose Leclerc
If the old adage of good pitching wins championships holds true, and if this staff keeps pitching as efficiently as it has all postseason, then the Rangers are lining themselves up to have a good chance at toppling their interstate rivals.
Will Max Scherzer be a difference maker for the Rangers in the ALCS? Share your thoughts with Matt on Twitter @FisherWritesMLB.
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