The Texas Rangers will go as far as their offense can hit

Two years after winning the World Series, the Texas Rangers have yet to return to the postseason. Their 2025 campaign resulted in an even 81-81 record, finishing six games back of a playoff berth. The team sat two games out of a playoff spot with 13 games remaining in the season following an early-September win streak but collapsed down the stretch. The reason was clear: they just could not hit the ball. As a team, the Rangers possessed the fifth worst on base plus slugging percentage and scored the ninth least runs in the Major Leagues. This agonizing display of offense stood in contrast to their pitching, which, as a team, was the best in the entire majors based off of earned run average. Now, with a new season starting soon, the whole team is facing the pressure to prove that 2023 was not a fluke, and that seal is about to burst.  

Departures 

The offseason saw considerable turnover for the Rangers roster. Most notably, 2023 World Series champions Marcus Semien, Jonah Heim and Adolis Garcia are no longer on the roster. While it is certainly sad these three players have left, it was the right decision for the team. All three players were poor with their bat, each with an OPS well under the league average. And while Garcia and Semien were both excellent in the field in 2025, the value of a position player is rooted in what they do with a bat.  

Other notable departures included starting pitchers Patrick Corbin, who led the team in starts, Merill Kelly, who they acquired at the trade deadline, and Tyler Mahle, who had an amazing 2.18 ERA, although in only 16 starts. The team also saw relievers Phil Maton and Danny Coulombe, both acquired at the trade deadline, leave the team in free agency. 

Change was not limited to the roster as Bruce Bochy, who managed the team during their World Series run, mutually agreed with the organization to step down as manager. His replacement Skip Schumaker looks like a strong successor, having won the National League’s award for Manager of the Year in 2023. 

Pitching 

Without a doubt, the Rangers strongest group remains their starting pitchers, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, despite the previously mentioned departures. In his first fully healthy season as a Ranger, deGrom put together a strong campaign, posting an ERA of 2.97 in 30 starts. Eovaldi was even better, posting an absolutely insane 1.77 ERA in 22 starts, although injuries prevented him from competing for the American League Cy Young award.  

Their returning support includes Jack Leiter, who finally found consistency in 2025 after being drafted second overall in the 2021 MLB draft, posting a 3.86 ERA in 29 starts, and Jacob Latz, who impressed in eight starts in the second half of the year while also being an asset out of the bullpen, posting a 2.84 ERA across 33 appearances. The team also bolstered their starting pitching by trading for the Washington National’s MacKenize Gore, who has a career 4.19 ERA.  

The relief pitching, on the other hand, is much more questionable. The unit posted the sixth worst save percentage in the majors, and no significant moves were made to upgrade it. The bullpen will be headlined by Robert Garcia, Chris Martin and Cole Winn. 

Offense 

The Rangers offense was horrendous in 2025. To fix their dire situation, president of baseball operations Chris Young added… not much. The team acquired outfielder Brandon Nimmo in a trade that sent Semien to the New York Mets. Nimmo had a .760 OPS last season, a notable improvement over Semien at the leadoff spot. The team also added Danny Jansen, who posted a .721 OPS last season, to replace Heim as catcher, splitting the role with Kyle Higashioka. 

The two best returning hitters are clearly shortstop Corey Seager and outfielder Wyatt Langford. The question with Seager has never been whether or not he can hit the ball, but whether or not he can stay healthy. Seager posted a .860 OPS in 2025, the highest on the team, but played in only 102 games. Langford built on his solid rookie year by posting a .775 OPS in 2025. As the most physically talented player on the team, the Rangers will be looking for Langford to take another step in his development. A large part of the Rangers season will be determined by whether these two are playing at their best. 

Seager and Langford are solid, but they are surrounded by more questionable prospects. Designated hitter Joc Pederson and infielder Jake Burger had underwhelming first years in Texas. Last season, Pederson was one of the worst hitters in the entirety of the majors, posting a measly .614 OPS. As a career .798 OPS hitter, there is hope that this was simply a case of having a bad, outlier season. Meanwhile, third baseman Josh Jung will be looking to stay healthy and, if he’s lucky, find his 2023 form again. His OPS has decreased in each of his last two seasons, posting a .684 OPS in 2025. Outfielder Evan Carter will also have to overcome injury concerns. Two seasons after he became a postseason hero as a rookie in 2023, Carter has only played in 108 games. Carter has shown he can be productive — when he’s consistently on the field.  

Rounding out the position players is super-utility man Josh Smith, who has provided consistency at the plate the last two seasons while being able to play every position in the field. Finally, infielder Cameron Cauley and outfielder Alejandro Osuna look to provide depth behind the regulars. 

Season projection 

One question remains: can the Texas Rangers make the playoffs? It will be determined by their hitting. They will continue to have great pitching, but none of that matters if they can’t score. If the offense can be a league average unit, the team should have a great shot at making the postseason. Beyond there, it’s anyone’s game. It’ll be hard to find another team in the American League with as good of a starting rotation, and they have hitters like Seager and Carter who elevate their game on the brightest stages. Only time will tell how the season plays out, but for fans of the Texas Rangers, it will be worth a watch.