We’re about to enter one of the best times of the sports calendar for Texas sports betting. This Thursday is Opening Day for most Major League Baseball teams, and that includes both the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.
BetTexas wanted to know how the American League West teams fared over the first month of the season. We used statistics from BaseballReference.com to determine the teams’ starts to the season, which covers games in March and April, over the last three seasons.
Rank | Team | Record | Runs Scored | Runs Allowed |
T-1 | Texas Rangers | 40-39 | 406 runs | 331 runs |
T-1 | Seattle Mariners | 40-39 | 324 runs | 295 runs |
3 | Los Angeles Angels | 40-41 | 382 runs | 381 runs |
4 | Houston Astros | 36-42 | 340 runs | 342 runs |
5 | Athletics | 30-51 | 288 runs | 440 runs |
The Lone Star State’s two MLB clubs start their season at the same time many of the state’s other top teams are winding theirs down. That includes the Houston Cougars and Texas Tech Red Raiders, who are battling in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and the Dallas Stars, who are among the favorites to hoist the Stanley Cup when the NHL postseason starts next month.
Getting off to a great start has not been a requirement for AL West teams in recent years. Even though only two teams have played (barely) above-.500 ball in March and April over the past three seasons, teams within the division still have claimed two World Series over that timeframe.
The Astros have won the division in each of the past three seasons. Houston started 2022 with an 11-10 mark en route to a 106-56 regular season record and a World Series title. Last season, the team overcame a 10-19 start through March and April to win the division with an 88-73 record.
Texas tied Houston with a 90-72 record in 2023, with the Astros winning the division through the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Rangers went 17-11 in March and April that year and had only one-sub. 500 month in earning a Wild Card berth in the playoffs. After sweeping their first two series, the Rangers beat the Astros in the AL Championship Series before beating the Arizona Diamondbacks to win the franchise’s first World Series title.
If only there had been live Texas betting apps to back to 'Stors and Rangers ahead of their recent championships.
Houston plays 31 games in March and April this year. It starts Thursday with a three-game home series against the New York Mets, one of the top contenders in the National League this season. Other key series over that stretch include a three-game road trip to the Minnesota Twins (April 3, 5-6), three home games versus the San Diego Padres (April 18-20), three at the Kansas City Royals (April 25-27) and three at home with the Detroit Tigers (April 28-30) in a rematch of last season’s Wild Card Series that the Tigers won 2-0.
The Rangers’ start to the season seems less daunting. Their first 31 games include a four-game opener against the Boston Red Sox starting Thursday. Besides the Red Sox, the only other teams considered to be playoff contenders Texas faces in the first month are the Chicago Cubs from April 7-9 on the road and a three-game series versus the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Arlington.
USA Today photo by Jim Cowsert.
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
Cited by leading media organizations, such as:
