Rangers Shock Everyone, Grab Early ALDS Edge: What's Next?

After watching the Rangers jump out to an improbable 2-0 series lead over the Blue Jays in the ALDS, I was all mixed up. On the one hand, my energy was through the roof with Toronto on the brink of elimination. On the other hand, I was so wiped out that an Aleve and a nap sounded pretty darn good, too.

What a dream scenario: Texas leads 2-0 after stealing a pair of games against Toronto, which had the best regular season home record in the AL. It took 14 innings to put the Jays away in Game 2, which to me was one of the most memorable games in Rangers history. I literally gave myself a headache in Game 2 from how rapidly and loudly I was applauding in intense situations. That's just not normal.

Dear Rangers: Please Clinch AL West This Weekend

It's funny to think that a month into the 2015 season, the Texas Rangers were 8-16. Four months later, they enter their final series of the season at 86-72, needing to win one of four games against the Angels to clinch at least a wild card spot. More importantly, a split would clinch the AL West.

Remember the "sky is falling" headlines early in the season? Four-fifths of the rotation was on the shelf. The Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo albatross contracts were two of the worst in baseball. Texas was going to sell at the trade deadline and plan for the future.

Oh how things have changed.

Bucket List Stadium Tour Hits Ballpark No. 10 in Anaheim

Anaheim, Calif. - I take great joy in keeping track of how many Major League Baseball stadiums I've visited. It's a sports bucket list sort of deal. This past Labor Day, I had the opportunity to visit Anaheim with my brother Dave to follow the Rangers as they took on the Angels.

The stadium was crazy nice. The first night (9/5), the Rangers beat the Angels, 2-1, behind eight masterfully spun innings by southpaw Derek Holland. After a woeful start to the 2014 season, Texas has completely turned its season around and at the time was in the thick of the wild card and AL West race. It made our trip that much more enjoyable. There's nothing quite like meaningful baseball in September.

Joey Gallo Goes All Roy Hobbs in Debut, Rangers Fans Lose Their Minds

I'm not entirely sure what I'm about to type, but I'm 100% sure I just had an out-of-body baseball experience.

In his big league debut, Rangers third baseman Joey Gallo announced his presence with a scintillating 3-for-4, 4 RBI performance that included a single, double, walk and most memorably a towering home run that shot out of a freaking cannon into the second deck:

What Do We Make of Texas Rangers in 2015?

Baseball is a really weird game. The Texas Rangers, seemingly an afterthought in 2015, have come out of nowhere to win six straight games. Don't look now, but the Rangers boast an MLB-best 16-10 road record. However, they're only 6-13 at home. Remember when I said baseball's weird?

Add that up and you have a 22-23 squad whose stock is steadily rising in the AL West. What are we to make of this hot mess?

The question many Rangers fans are hesitant to ask because we didn't feel we'd be able to ask it is ... Can the Rangers actually contend this year?

Spring Training 2015 Preview: What Needs to Happen for Rangers to Contend

I'm looking at spring training previews as I do around this time of year, and can't help but notice a disheartening similarity in the analysis of these articles: A whole lotta prognosticators like the Rangers to finish last in the AL West in 2015.

Damn, man, 2010 seemed like it was so long ago.

My natural inclination is to argue with these predictions, being the Rangers zealot I am. Ah, that's the beauty of spring training, when hope springs eternal. Clean slate. A few things have to happen, though, for the Rangers to climb out of the cellar of 67-95, the worst record in the AL and third-worst in all of baseball, and back into contention: