Tuesday Morning Texas Rangers Update

The Rangers didn't play yesterday, but the Angels did. While the Rangers were eating lobster rolls and visiting Quincy Market in Boston, the Angels were getting swept in a four game series by the Houston Astros in Anaheim.

In four games against the worst pitching staff in Major League Baseball, the Angels managed seven total runs. The Angels are now 3-7 against the Astros this season. Take the games against the Angels out of the equation and the Astros have managed only 14 wins in 2013. That's right; a third of all Astros wins this season have come against Anaheim.

Through two months and three days, the $130-ish million dollar payroll Angels are now only four games better than the $25-ish million dollar payroll, intentionally tanking Houston Astros.

And we were bummed when the Rangers lost a couple of games on Memorial Day.

Behind the DMN paywall, Gerry Fraley takes a look at what he's calling the season's defining stretch for the Rangers.

To Fraley's point, over the next 27 games, comprising the rest of June, the Rangers will play eight series and in only two of them (both against the Blue Jays) will they play a team with a record below .500. The composite winning percentage of opponents over the rest of June is .568 and the Rangers go through the gauntlet with the benefit of only one day off. That stretch begins tonight with 20 consecutive games.

Todd Wills takes a look at the week ahead which begins tonight in Boston and ends in Toronto against the disappointing Blue Jays.

Jeff Wilson writes that the Rangers will hold discussions on how they might keep Jurickson Profar in the big leagues once Ian Kinsler returns from the disabled list. Though, as Adam wrote yesterday, the most likely outcome remains a return trip to Round Rock.

I mean, you can't replace the AL's best shortstop, right? As T.R. Sullivan writes, Elvis Andrus currently leads his position in the American League All-Star voting. It seems Elvis is the next Jeter after all!

The Star-Telegram Foul Territory Blog has a quick update on where all the Rangers are positioned in the All-Star voting. We can't let Torii Hunter beat out Nellie Cruz!

Sullivan previews Thursday's MLB Draft, with plenty of quotes from Rangers' director of scouting Kip Fagg on the process, and writes about how the Rangers have a recent history of selecting projectable high school athletes.

Master Tesfatsion profiles Plano West outfielder Billy McKinney, a local draft prospect whom the Rangers have scouted and worked out. McKinney says being drafted by the Rangers would be "awesome."

Your weekly Rangers top prospect DMN slideshow update: It's apparently still not time for Nick Williams.

Lastly, Mac Engel writes like it's 2004 and tries to tie pitch counts in with sabermetrics for some reason while going off on how math and nerds are ruining the sport of baseball. You know, it's exactly the sort of article that makes you wish Fire Joe Morgan was still a thing.