SURPRISE, ArizonaNathan Eovaldi is not new to this place. He witnessed the Boston Red Sox struggle to defend their title in 2019 after helping the team win the 2018 World Series.
The right-hander for the Texas Rangers, who went 5-0 with a 2.95 ERA during the team’s inaugural World Series title run last autumn, is aware that things will be different in 2024. “Everything has changed. We’ve got that target on our back, Eovaldi said. “Teams are coming out for us and we start off against really good opponents in the beginning of the season, so we have to be ready to go.” How can the reigning World Series victor get back on top? For Eovaldi, it’s about moving on and concentrating on the future. However, he also recalls that the team had to earn their title the hard way after losing to the Houston Astros in a tiebreaker for the American League West division championship.
“Imagining how good we could have been the previous year is unsettling. And we managed to prevail in it,” he remarked. “I firmly think that everything occurs for a purpose. We obviously feel deeply hurt and resentful about losing the division, even though we managed to reclaim it in the ALCS.”
The Rangers are aware that the Astros are still a strong opponent. It’s conceivable that the Seattle Mariners will get better. Additionally, Ron Washington, a well-known figure in baseball, is now overseeing the Los Angeles Angels. It’s a really difficult division. “Every team is chasing us,” Eovaldi declared. “We need to do our job, turn the page, and go out there attacking guys.” According to Eovaldi, the Rangers have all the players needed to mount a formidable defense of the 2023 championship. He attributes the culture’s establishment to manager Bruce Bochy and general manager Chris Young.
“I feel like CY does a really good job of getting the right group of guys in here,” he stated. There are numerous leaders within the clubhouse. There are enough of individuals who know how to play the game well and win, even though we might not have that one guy who will always go up and say anything. Additionally, they make the appropriate statements when needed.”
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