Joc Pederson says there’s a new sheriff in the AL West.
The slugger said the Rangers are primed to overtake the back-to-back-to-back-to-back division champion Astros after he signed a two-year, $37 million contract with Texas this offseason.
“There’s a lot of things lining up for us to go on a nice run,” Pederson said Tuesday in his introductory press conference. “In the playoffs, played the Astros a couple times in the World Series. They put together a nice little run and it’s coming to an end and it’s time for us to take over the West. So, like I said, there’s a lot of things that are going in the right direction for the Rangers to be on top of this division.”
The Rangers, meanwhile, have not won a division title since 2016 but have won the World Series in this stretch, even downing the Astros in the 2023 ALCS en route to their title.
Pederson’s comments come as Houston appears to be at its most vulnerable with lineup staples Kyle Tucker being traded to the Cubs this offseason and Alex Bregman seeming set to leave in free agency.
The slugger said the Rangers are primed to overtake the back-to-back-to-back-to-back division champion Astros after he signed a two-year, $37 million contract with Texas this offseason.
“There’s a lot of things lining up for us to go on a nice run,” Pederson said Tuesday in his introductory press conference. “In the playoffs, played the Astros a couple times in the World Series. They put together a nice little run and it’s coming to an end and it’s time for us to take over the West. So, like I said, there’s a lot of things that are going in the right direction for the Rangers to be on top of this division.”
The Rangers, meanwhile, have not won a division title since 2016 but have won the World Series in this stretch, even downing the Astros in the 2023 ALCS en route to their title.
Pederson’s comments come as Houston appears to be at its most vulnerable with lineup staples Kyle Tucker being traded to the Cubs this offseason and Alex Bregman seeming set to leave in free agency.
