30 Teams | 30 Weeks: #20 Texas Rangers
Team No. 20 in our 30 Teams | 30 Weeks countdown to the most legendary card lineup ever is the Texas Rangers.
Whether you want to start Rangers history in 1961 when they were founded as the second Washington Senators, or you want to start it when they moved to Texas in 1972, there’s no debating that the team spent a long, long time in mediocrity. But they finally broke out of that in the 90s, winning three AL West titles in four years. Those power-hitting Rangers’ teams featured Juan Gonzalez (1996 and 1998 MVP), Pudge Rodriguez (1999 MVP), and others.
But after failing to get out of the first round of the playoffs, the Rangers entered another decade of struggles. In 2010, though, the Rangers emerged in a big way. Not only did they win the AL West title for the first time in 11 years, they made it all the way to the World Series. After a five-game series loss to the Giants, the Rangers didn’t rest on their laurels, signing Adrian Beltre in the offseason. Beltre, along with Ian Kinsler, Josh Hamilton, and more took the Rangers back to the World Series in 2011. The seven game series against the Cardinals was one of the best World Series in recent memory. Since 2010, the Rangers have won the AL West four times and made the playoffs five times, a feat they did not achieve one time from 1961-1996. So, their Legendary Lineup consists of many members of those teams that brought them to their highest heights.
Check out the Rangers and the rest of the teams at 30Teams30Weeks.com.
