Texas Rangers 1 in 6 to make playoffs, per 538

The Texas Rangers’ chances of making the playoffs in 2020 are roughly 1 in 6, according to 538, which has the Rangers projected at 28-32 for the season, and with a 16% chance of making the playoffs. 538 gives Texas a 6% chance of winning the division.

538 has the Rangers fourth in the division, with the Houston Astros being the clear favorites, while Oakland (projected at 32-28) and Anaheim (29-31) are in the middle of the pack. Their projections are similar to the Fangraphs projections, which have the Rangers projected at 28-32, fourth best in the A.L. West, with a 5% chance of winning the division and a 13.1% chance of making the playoffs.

The Rangers benefit from the shortened 60 game schedule, since they aren’t one of the favorites, and over shorter periods of time lesser teams are more likely to end up coming out ahead just due to random chance. A strong start to the season later this week at home against the Colorado Rockies would be a nice way to begin things and increase those odds.