As we draw to the end of another year that was filled with some great baseball across the great State of Texas, it is time that we reflect on some of the greatest moments of the 2021 season in the first annual State of Texas Baseball Address. In part one of this series, we take a look and recap the 2021 season with the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.
Houston Astros
As baseball returned in 2021, the Houston Astros (95-67) were ready to make another deep run in October. With fans back in the stands this season, the Astros were met with a heavy dose of resistance from opposing fanbases, but that did not seem to slow them down. If anything, it gave them the fuel to silence the noise.
Led by Gold Glove Award winner and Platinum Award winner Carlos Correa, the Astros won their fourth AL West Divison title in five seasons. The Astros squared off against the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS. In four games, the Astros were able to defeat the White Sox to advance to the ALCS. This time they would be facing the Boston Red Sox.
Defeating the Boston Red Sox in six games, the Astros returned to the World Series for the third time in five years, facing a former NL foe in the Atlanta Braves. A season that manager Dusty Baker called “one of the hardest seasons to manage” ended with the Braves winning it all and defeating the Astros in six games.
Texas Rangers
Going into the 2021 season, the Texas Rangers (60-102) knew it would be a hard-fought season before it even began. With the teams across the league opening their stadiums at 20% capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rangers gave their fans a present as they opened the newly built Globe Life Park at 100% capacity.
As for the season itself, there were a few moments that Rangers fans were excited to see. One of those moments was the rise of Adolis Garcia. This season, Garcia burst onto the scene and became an instant threat in the middle of the Rangers lineup. With a slash line of .243/.286/.454/.741, Garcia showed what he was capable of at the plate, hitting 31 home runs with 90 RBIs. The Rangers will continue to build for the future, but having Garica in the lineup will help trend the Rangers in the right direction.
With the Rangers making a big splash this offseason with the signings of Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Jon Gray, and Kole Calhoun, the Rangers will be looking to contend in 2022 and beyond in the AL West, especially with Garcia, Josh Jung, and Jack Leiter added to the mix.
In part two of this series, we will look at how the Minor League teams faired across the State.
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