In the recent MLB past, we have seen long-suffering franchises in big television markets miraculously win World Series via hook and crook, starting with the Boston Red Sox in 2004—and followed by the San Francisco Giants in 2010 and the Houston Astros in 2017. Last year? It was the Texas Rangers. In each of the first three situations, the teams kept winning, albeit not two years in a row. So, where are the Rangers now?

Well … they’re currently 42-48 and in third place among American League West teams. Somehow, though, they’re only 6 games out of first place—yet 7.5 games out of the wild-card chase. Perhaps this is not surprising, considering their long-time, PED-enabling manager rarely has been able to get his teams to the postseason two years in a row … and is under .500 for the entirety of his managerial career, too. Interesting.

A quick glance at their current roster, in the fashion of our Fenway Frauds and House that Steroids Built miniseries, can tell us a bit more about the usual suspects on a Bruce Bochy team: shortstop Corey Seager has come back down to earth at age 30; utility player Josh Smith is playing way above his head; journeyman starter Nathan Eovaldi is having a career year at age 34, as is age-37 closer Kirby Yates.

Oh, and another journeyman, age-32 reliever José Ureña, is also posting career-best numbers. All of these players represent classic examples of the kind explored in the Boston and San Francisco studies that spanned more than two decades of roster analyses. Bochy, of course, was complicit in a good portion of the Giants’ “success” after decades of futility before Barry Bonds starting messing with BALCO chemicals.

Let’s look at these five players, individually, before coming to a conclusion that answers our question:

  • Seager: His .840 OPS this year so far is below his career mark (.870) and is a big drop from the 1.013 OPS he posted last season—after the .772 OPS he posted in 2022 during his first season in Texas, before Bochy arrived to “manage” him. Remember, he made $33M in 2022 for that .772 OPS and then suddenly experienced a career-best year at age 29 last year. He should still be in his prime, and his numbers this year are fine … but still not worth the $35M he’s making in 2024. With 7 more years under contract ahead for about $220M, look for more Seager shenanigans next year and beyond.
  • Smith: This guy hit under .200 in 2022 and 2023 combined, across 408 ABs with the Rangers. Now, he’s hitting .290 with an .838 OPS at age 26. Okay, so maybe this is a natural progression, although it’s been a steep one this year, unconnected to his $749K salary. It’s more about making sure he either can get a fat raise in arbitration and/or secure a long-term deal soon—when he was not on track to do so before this season at all. Young players, desperate to stick in the majors, often experience this kind of odd boost when playing for enabling clubs/managers. But, we will give him the benefit of the doubt.
  • Eovaldi: Remember, he came to Texas from the Red Sox, so he knows what it’s like to play for cheating enablers. His career ERA is 4.03, and at age 34 when he should be on the slow fade to oblivion, he is having a career-best season with a 2.97 ERA. He has never finished a season with an ERA below 3.00, and suddenly he’s doing it now, after having his prior best season ever last year under Bochy’s tutelage. He’s played for 6 total organizations at the MLB level, but evidently only Bochy knew how to unlock his hitherto unknown capabilities. If you believe that nonsense, we have a bridge to sell you, too. By the way, his prior honest organizations include the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Miami Marlins—all organizations known for developing talent pretty well.
  • Yates: He is 37 years old now, and he has a 0.81 ERA right now after pitching a total of 11 1/3 innings in 2020, 2021, and 2022 combined. His return from injuries has been nothing short of amazing, especially for his age. This is his first season in Texas after signing a $4.5M contract for the year. Oddly, the Atlanta Braves, who paid him $6M in 2023, bought him out for this season, and we know the Braves are a smart organization. We’ve seen this before, where an honest franchise with an excellent track record lets a guy go, and then a cheating franchise picks the guy up and performs miracles. Hmm.
  • Ureña: With a career ERA of 4.76 across 9 seasons with 5 different teams, why would the Rangers give an age-32 stiff a $1.75M contract when the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox gave up on him after a 2023 campaign where he put up a 6.45 ERA? Good question. But with a 3.13 ERA this year, he’s on pace for his best year ever, by far. Once again, are we supposed to believe that the Rangers have the magic touch in developing bad, old pitchers? Evidently. Who believes this stuff? Gullible fans.

As verified with the Boston and San Francisco analyses, cheating doesn’t always guarantee success. And the Red Sox, like the Giants, never put together back-to-back World Series seasons. Heck, San Francisco never made the playoffs in consecutive years except for 2002-2003. Cheating just means you’re cheating, and the sport is still dependent on a lot of chance, luck, and oppositional forces you have no control over. Reality!

Therefore, these five brief case studies lead us to believe the Rangers still are subverting the rules, even if it is not resulting in the same kind of luck it did in 2023 (yet?). Anything is still possible, of course, sadly.