Rangers vs Athletics MLB Odds, Picks, and Predictions (Aug 15)

• From Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, it’s Rangers vs Athletics
• Texas sends lefty MacKenzie Gore to the mound
• The A’s reply with righty J.T. Ginn

Gore Has Had 4 Consecutive Good Starts

Rangers lefty MacKenzie Gore has some of the best stuff in MLB, but he has trouble harnessing it. His control sometimes abandons him and he throws too many pitches early in to get deep into games consistently. However, the lefty has had 4 straight good starts.

Over those 4 starts, he has tossed 23.1 innings, allowed 17 hits, and 7 earned runs. For 2026, he has a 1.1 bWAR and a 4.43 ERA. His FIP is 3.74, so he’s pitched in some poor luck. Over 134 innings, he’s surrendered 117 hits, 66 earned runs, and 17 homers, walking 49 and striking out 149.

The Rangers are still in the thick of the AL West race despite hovering around .500. Jake Burger is second on the team in homers with 19. Corey Seager is having an awful, injury-plagued season, batting .200 with 12 homers. Brandon Nimmo has a .784 OPS and 13 homers. Joc Pederson leads the team in homers in a tremendous comeback year after a woeful 2025. He has 22 longballs and an .849 OPS.

Against A’s starter J.T. Ginn, Nimmo is 2 for 7 with a home run. Seager is 2 for 7 with a double and a home run. Pederson is 2 for 8 with a double and a home run. Wyatt Langford is 6 for 13, all singles. Burger is 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Ginn is Having a Quietly Good Season for the A’s

The A’s are having a rough season after a reasonably good start. A few weeks ago, they parted ways with longtime head of baseball ops and one of the last remaining links to Billy Beane, David Forst. Now, as they move forward, they need to look at their roster and decide who will be a key component when they get to Las Vegas in 2028.

J.T. Ginn has pitched well this season and could be in the mix. The righty has tossed at least 6 innings in his last 3 starts. Overall, he has a 3.2 bWAR and a 3.41 ERA. In 121.1 frames, he’s allowed 94 hits, 46 earned runs, and 13 homers, walking 53 and striking out 107.

Despite their terrible record, the A’s have some pieces in place on offense. They are without Shea Langeliers, lost for the season with a knee injury. Nick Kurtz is also out. That’s their two top home run hitters.

Jacob Wilson is a defensive ace at shortstop. Jeff McNeil has had a rough year after coming over from the Mets, batting .255 with a .643 OPS. Lawrence Butler is barely batting over .200. Brent Rooker was having a rough year too before getting hurt.

For the A’s against Gore, McNeil is 8 for 14, all singles. Wilson is 3 for 5 with a double. Zack Gelof is 1 for 5 with a single. Jonah Heim is 1 for 3 with a single. Tyler Soderstrom is 1 for 5 with a single.

Rangers vs Athletics Pick

If the Rangers are going to make the playoffs, they need to beat on teams like the Athletics. However, Ginn is no easy assignment and Gore can be inconsistent. Still, since the A’s are not hitting well and the Rangers have several bats who have had some success against Ginn, the Rangers should take this one over the A’s and stay within range of 1st place in the weak AL West.