Pregame Nuggets: Rangers Begin Toughest Road Trip Of Season
*Rangers 2 opponents on the trip have MLB's two best records and will have their league's best record at the time of series.
*Elvis has a 12-game hitting streak during which he's hitting .412 (21-for-51) with 6 2B and 11 RBI, the longest active in MLB. His career best is 16 (2x, 09 and 13)
*Nomar Mazara has reached base in 28 straight starts (.349/.419/.541/.961 with 10 2B, 3 HR, and 20 RBI to go along with 13 BB and 22 K)
*Rangers advance more than 1 base on a 1B and more than 2 bases on a 2B 52% of the time, easily best rate in MLB (next best: 49%, ATL).
*Tanner Roark has gone 100+ pitches in 11 straight starts. Chris Archer's 22 straight is the longest active MLB streak.
*Roark has gone 7+ IP in his last 3. Michael Fulmer's 6 straight is the longest active streak.
*The Nationals lead MLB averaging 5.54 runs/game
*The Nationals are averaging 6.2 IP/start from their starting pitchers, best in MLB.
*The Nationals are getting quality starts 66% of the time, easily most in MLB. Next closest? STL, 57%. TEX ranks 8th, 53%
*The Nationals see 2-0 counts 15.7% of the time, 2nd highest rate in MLB. Their 1.085 after 2-0 count ranks 5th in MLB.
*Who leads the Nationals in position player WAR per Baseball-Reference? Anthony Rendon (2.8), who ranks 9th in MLB (Harper, 2.7, 10th)
*The Nationals have an XBH rate of 9.4%, best in MLB. Next best? 9.0%. Rangers check in at 7.9%. Lg avg: 8.1%
*Ryan Zimmerman's XBH rate of 15.5% is T-Best MLB w/ the injured Mike Trout (15.5%). Harper ranks 8th at 12.6%
*Daniel Murphy's line drive rate of 34% ranks 4th in MLB and 1st in the NL.
*Bryce Harper's 2015 OPS of 1.109 is the best season-ending OPS since Albert Pujols's 2008 OPS of 1.114.
*Daniel Murphy's MLB ranks since start of 2016
BA: 1st (.344)
OBP: 11th (.389)
SLG: 4th (.584)
OPS: 5th (.985)
*24 players have 130+ RBI since the start of 2016. Daniel Murphy is the only one with fewer than 100 K during that span (82).
*Of the 36 non-retired players with a SLG of .500+ since 2016, Murphy (82) and Beltre (69) are the only two with fewer than 100 K
*Roark played from the Southern Illinois Miners of the independent Frontier League in 2008. He posted a 21.41 ERA over 9.2 innings giving up 23 hits and 25 runs. Danny Almonte played for the Miners back in the day.