MLB Picks 8/23 – Texas Rangers @ Cleveland Guardians

MLB Picks 8/23 – Texas Rangers @ Cleveland Guardians

by Thomas Quaynor for Wannamakeabet.com

The reigning World Series Champion Texas Rangers (59-69) open a three-game series at the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians (73-54) tonight at Progressive Field. This is the final series meeting between these clubs. Cleveland won two of three in Texas when they last met in May. Cleveland has won five of the last six against Texas. 

Texas is coming off a 1-0 win against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night. Rookie Wyatt Langford won the game with a single in the bottom of the ninth inning that scored pinch-runner Ezequiel Duran. Left-hander Andrew Heaney struck out eight over five innings for the Rangers. Heaney and four other relievers combined for the shutout. Texas took two of three from Pittsburgh and has won three of four overall. 

Cleveland is coming off a 6-0 loss at the New York Yankees yesterday. Cleveland could only muster one hit in the entire game as they were shut down by reigning Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole. Left fielder Steven Kwan’s single in the top of the first inning was the Guardians only hit. They dropped two of three to the Yankees and finished their six-game road trip with a 1-5 record. Cleveland was swept in Milwaukee prior to the Yankees series. 

Tonight’s starters are Nathan Eovaldi (8-7, 3.76 ERA, 123 K’s in 22 starts) for Texas and Tanner Bibee (10-5, 3.33 ERA, 144 K’s in 24 starts) for Cleveland.

MLB Picks 8/23 – Texas Rangers @ Cleveland Guardians

GAME ODDS

Moneyline: Texas +114,   Cleveland -134

Run Line: Texas +1.5 (-200),   Cleveland -1.5 (+164)

Run Total: over 7.5 (-110)    under 7.5 (-110)

GAME STORYLINES: TEXAS

Last season, the Texas Rangers shocked the world after they came out of nowhere to finish 90-72 and win the World Series as the No. 5 seed. It was the franchise’s first World Series crown. Texas had finished with an abysmal 68-94 record in 2022 and had not posted a winning season since 2016. The biggest reason for last season’s success was an explosive offense. Texas ranked among the top 3 in virtually every offensive category.

Unfortunately, Texas has reverted back to pre-2023 form as they enter tonight’s game with a disappointing 59-69 record. The tremendous hitting Texas displayed last season has diminished due the slight regression of players – Jonah Heim, Nathaniel Lowe and Marcus Semien – who starred last year and a significant injury to second-year star Josh Jung. 

Josh Jung suffered a fractured wrist after getting hit by a pitch in a win at Tampa Bay on April 1. The injury occurred in just the fourth game of the season and caused Jung to miss nearly four months – he returned on July 30. Jung’s injury may have foreshadowed the bad season Texas is having. Jung hit .266 with 23 homers and 70 RBI last year as a rookie and was selected as a starter in last year’s All-Star game. He became the first Texas player to start an All-Star game. Jung has 4 homers and 9 RBI in 24 games this season.

MLB Picks 8/23 – Texas Rangers @ Cleveland Guardians

Despite the team’s overall struggles, the duo of All-Star shortstop Corey Seager (.271, 28 HR, 68 RBI in 114 games) and power-hitting right fielder Adolis Garcia (.225, 21 HR, 62 RBI, 11 steals in 122 games) continue to produce at a high level for Texas. The 31-year-old Garcia hit 39 homers and drove in 107 RBI last season which were both career-highs. The 30-year-old Seager has hit 33 homers in each of the last two seasons and will likely eclipse that mark again this year. Both players were the catalyst for last season’s tremendous success. Seager was named the MVP of the World Series last year.

Texas has also received solid production from rookie left fielder Wyatt Langford. Texas selected Langford with the No. 4 overall pick in the June 2023 MLB draft out of Florida. Langford made the Rangers 2024 opening day roster after just 44 games in the minors. He’s hitting .243 with 7 homers and 50 RBI through 101 games. 

   

GAME STORYLINES: CLEVELAND

From 2016-2022, the Cleveland Guardians established themselves as one of the better teams in MLB. They won 90+ games five times in six full seasons and made it to the 2016 World Series. So last season’s 76-86 finish was a big surprise when you consider the standard they’ve set. A dramatic decrease in power numbers – Cleveland ranked dead last in MLB with 124 homers – played a big part in last year’s failed season. 

The 2024 season has seen Cleveland return to their elite ways as they lead the American League Central division with a 73-54 record and have been one of the better teams in MLB for the entire season. The Guardians power numbers are back up and they boast one of the better pitching staffs in MLB.

At the plate, superstar third baseman Jose Ramirez continues to lead Cleveland. The 31-year-old, six-time All-Star is having a stellar season as he’s hitting .273 with 32 homers, 101 RBI, 27 doubles and 30 stolen bases through 124 games. He leads the team in nearly every offensive category. Ramirez also stole his 30th base against the Yankees last night which allowed him to achieve the second 30-30 season of his magnificent career. Ramirez was voted in as a starter for July’s All-Star game for the third time in his career.

MLB Picks 8/23 – Texas Rangers @ Cleveland Guardians

The trio of first baseman Josh Naylor (.239, 27 HR, 89 RBI in 119 games), left fielder Steven Kwan (.310, 13 HR, 36 RBI, 11 steals in 101 games) and catcher David Fry (.265, 12 HR, 45 RBI in 100 games) are all in the midst of career years and have provided a lot of firepower alongside Jose Ramirez in the lineup. All three players have set career highs for homers this season and participated in this year’s All-Star game. Kwan was named an All-Star starter along with Ramirez. 

Tanner Bibee takes the mound tonight for Cleveland. The 25-year-old, second-year star is 10-5 with a 3.33 ERA and a 144:32 K:BB across 24 starts this year. Bibee has not allowed more than 2 earned runs in 5 straight starts. He’s done an admirable job taking over the ace role for superstar Shane Bieber who was lost for the season after just 2 starts. The 2020 Cy Young Award winner Bieber underwent Tommy John surgery on April 12. Bieber was 2-0 with 20 strikeouts, 1 walk and no earned runs allowed before going down.  

THE PICK: GUARDIANS (Run Line)

After a rough 6-game road trip against 2 of the AL’s best teams, I think the Guardians rebound at home with their ace Tanner Bibee taking the mound against a mediocre Texas squad. Take the Guardians on the Run Line tonight!

MLB Picks 8/23 – Texas Rangers @ Cleveland Guardians