Rangers 1st-inning scoring has nosedived since opening day — a trend carrying over from 2021

Especially not ideal when you consider that newcomers who cost the Rangers more than half a billion dollars and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have taken all but 16 of the plate appearances at the top of the order.

The Rangers brought guys like Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Mitch Garver, Kole Calhoun and Brad Miller in to get things started.

But with Houston’s defense playing back, willing to surrender the third run on a ground ball, Calhoun did not break from third when Jonah Heim grounded hard to first.

In case the numbers haven’t been repeated often enough: Seager received a 10-year, $325 million deal; Semien seven years and $175 million.

It’s worth noting that last year, as a newcomer to Toronto, he struggled for the first month, as well, posting a .658 OPS.

Seager, who turned 28 on Wednesday, has just eight hits, all singles, over the last 11 games after a hot first week.

Just remember how Shin-Soo Choo dismissed notions he was worried about living up to his deal back in 2014 while he struggled through the first year of a seven-year, $130 million deal.

I’d be worried if, after signing a long-term contract, you didn’t have that thought of: ‘We’ve got to get this thing going’.

Miller, who homered in the club’s first at-bat of the season and was 4 for 11 in the first two games, is hitting just .129 since.

The numbers stuck out, but so did the fact that Calhoun is a lefty who typically has feasted on early fastballs.

He has twice been named one of the top 10 beat writers in the country by the AP Sports Editors.

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