Fresh off their series win over the Nationals, the Rangers enter tonight’s matchup with the Angels just one game behind the Astros for first place in the AL West and tied with the Twins for the third AL Wild Card.
So, what do the Rangers need to do to make the playoffs? Rangers minority owner Cade Cunningham has some thoughts.
Cunningham’s more well-known title is NBA superstar. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cunningham was an All-Star the past two seasons, an All-NBA First-Team selection in 2026, and he led the Pistons to the Eastern Conference Semifinals this year, the deepest the franchise has advanced in the playoffs since 2008.
But Cunningham’s roots are in Arlington, where he was born and raised. He purchased a minority stake in his hometown ballclub this past February, so returning to that question above, what do the Rangers need to do to make the playoffs?
Cade Cunningham bought a minority ownership stake in his hometown MLB team, the Texas Rangers, earlier this year. His take on what they need to do to get back in the wild card hunt:
“Win some games. Hit some home runs. Get some stops...Get outs & home runs. That’s what we need.” pic.twitter.com/dNV4IKvKpJ
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) August 19, 2026
“Win some games,” Cunningham said with a laugh earlier this week. “Hit some home runs, get some stops and win some games. Get outs and home runs. That’s what we need.”
It may not be an analytics-based breakdown, but it's also sound advice.
Brian Murphy is a reporter for MLB.com.