MLB power rankings: Remember the Rangers? Texas has playoff bid in reach - USA Today

In a season where the American League is redefining "quality," it's only appropriate that a team exemplifying "mid" is going on a little warm streak at just the right time.

In short: The Texas Rangers are probably going to the playoffs.

They have never been more than three games above or six games below .500. Their greatest player – Corey Seager – has not yet played in 100 games. Yet by winning a series against the Toronto Blue Jays this weekend, the Rangers largely control their own playoff destiny, with two routes to get in – the AL West title or the last wild card.

And their productive and timely spurt pushed them up four spots to No. 14 in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.

The Rangers more or less eliminated the Blue Jays this weekend and now face a tricky but not untenable final week: Three games against the improved New York Mets and three more vs. the Minnesota Twins. They'll take a one-game AL West lead over the Houston Astros into this final lap, and therein lies the danger: The Houston Astros finish with four games against the Athletics in Yolo County and own the tiebreaker over Texas.

Yet they're also just two games behind the Chicago White Sox for the final wild-card spot. Texas – now 76-76 – needs to just win, baby, even if doing so consistently has been a challenge this season.

Their +75 run differential is better than five likely playoff teams.

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