What Needs to Happen for the Rangers to Make Playoff Run in 2013

A few things have to happen for the Texas Rangers to emerge as American League West champions this season. In a first half littered with injuries to the starting rotation, it's amazing Texas sits at 54-41, two games back of Oakland in the division.

Matt Harrison, Alexi Ogando, Colby Lewis and Neftali Feliz all missed significant time on the shelf in the first half. The offense at times has looked putrid. To be sitting at 54-41 is a testament to this team's depth.

That said, Texas won't make the playoffs if it rides this personnel into August and September. Situations have to change. Here are my top 5 things that have to happen for the Rangers to make a playoff run this year:

What Should Rangers Do With Trade Deadline Looming?

It’s that time of year again and the Rangers are sure to be a major factor as we near the 2013 trade deadline. Even without a potential 50-game suspension coming for Nelson Cruz, the Rangers are looking for a starting pitcher and a bat (this gets capitalized and bolded if MLB drops the hammer on Nelly).

I’m sure general manager Jon Daniels is miles ahead of me, but I’m going to take a stab at offering my thoughts on a few trade scenarios.

My Picks for 2013 MLB All-Star Game

With a little more than a week left until the halfway point of the 2013 season, the Texas Rangers stand at 50-36, a half-game back of the Athletics for first place in the American League West. It's been a rocky first half, filled with the typical roller-caster rides of momentum, injuries and rising young studs (welcome to the show, Leonys Martin and Tanner Scheppers). It actually feels like a mediocre season, but the team is on pace to win more than 100 games with three rookie pitchers in the starting rotation, so there's not a ton of room for complaining.

What Has Happened to the Texas Rangers?

Arlington, Texas - Just about a month ago, the Texas Rangers held a seven-game lead in the American League West. After tonight, they trail the A's by one game.

Doesn't take much to recognize that it's been an awful month for baseball in North Texas. In fact, the Rangers were at one time 5-12 in the month of June, the worst mark in Major League Baseball. Ouch.

So what the hell happened?

Not much. Put simply, the starting pitching has been horrid and the offense has been nonexistent. I feel like the baseball version of Jim Mora: We couldn't hit the ball. We couldn't throw pitches. We didn't do diddly poo in the month of June.

PODCAST: State of the Texas Rangers Address After 56 Games of 2013 Season

The state of the Texas Rangers 56 games into the 2013 season is rather strong: a 35-21 record (best in the American League); a two-game lead over Oakland in the AL West; a 10.5-game lead over the Angels, who many had in the World Series; and a legitimate ace in Yu Darvish, the kind of guy whose presence is mandatory on a team that has deep postseason aspirations.

For more thoughts on the state of the squad, I recorded a podcast with my old friend Sam, who graduated from Plano West Senior High School with me in 2002. This is the first time I've ever recorded a podcast on the Gametime in Arlington blog. Topics on the first episode include:

• Biggest surprise, disappointment
• Team MVP
• Trade talk 
• Team brass relying on influx of young talent 

Enjoy (you may also download the .mp3 file for the road, as it's 36 minutes total):

How Texas Rangers Have Best Record in American League Despite Depleted Rotation

Three of the five starting pitchers the Texas Rangers hoped would form a robust rotation in 2013 are shelved on the disabled list. This setback would destroy many teams' chances of remaining competitive 25 percent of the way through the season. 

Texas, however, has defied logic in its ability to overcome a depleted rotation that's currently without Matt Harrison, Colby Lewis and Alexi Ogando.