Back-to-back losing seasons. A 2023 World Series banner hanging in left field serving as both a source of pride and a painful reminder of just how far this team has fallen. The 2026 Texas Rangers are standing at a crossroads, and quite frankly, so are several of the men in that clubhouse. This is not a rebuilding year. This is not a transition year. This is a win-now or answer some very serious questions year. New manager Skip Schumaker arrives with fresh energy, a proven track record, and a roster that on paper should be significantly better than what we watched struggle through last season. The starting pitching and defense were elite. The offense was historically bad. Something has to give. Let’s break it down.
Corey Seager: Let’s start right at the top with Corey. There is arguably no better hitter in the game when he is fully healthy and rolling, but that is the biggest pain point here. The superstar shortstop played 102 games last year and put up a whopping 6.2 bWAR. This was a pace of a 9.85 WAR had he played a full 162. 9.8….. Now is he going to play 162? No, no change; however, it just goes to show this man is one of the best players alive and never gets the credit he deserves. We need him to play about 120-130 games; should he do that, I am confident this team will be a contender for the playoffs come September.
Biggest question mark? How Many games will he play?
Projected Statline: .288/.378/.579
Jake Burger: Jake is coming off a season I am sure he wishes he could forget. His first year in Texas was likely a lot for him mentally. New city, new home, new child, injuries, cold streak at the plate… I mean you name it and it happened last year for Jake. He really was not able to ever hit the ground running and find his groove. There is reason to believe that Jake can find his stroke again that led to him hitting essentially back-to-back 30 HR seasons. One of those reasons is the reuniting of him and manager Skip Schumaker, who he played under in Miami and had success with.
Biggest question mark? Can he get back to Hitting the fastball?
Projected Statline: .246/.305/.478
Josh Smith: Josh Smith has got some big shoes to fill (defensively). No disrespect to my man Marcus Semien, but Smith should more than fill the offensive shoes left behind. Smith gets a chance to take hold of the starting 2B job as Semien leaves town. Smith has shown that he can be a playable defender at every position, and I actually believe that playing every day at one spot will help him not only defensively but also at the plate. There is a lot to like about Josh, and I believe he can be a really solid 7-9 hitter on a playoff team. We have seen him be elite offensively in stretches and then seen him go completely ice cold at times too. In the past few years, it has been the tale of two halves for him. If he is able to even string together any bit of consistency, watch out…. At this point, I’d take lesser but consistent plate appearances than the feast and famine we have gotten.
Biggest question mark? Just how consistent will his bat be?
Projected Statline: .263/.341/.382
Josh Jung: This one really, really pains me, but this is as do-or-die as it gets for the former top prospect and 8th overall pick out of Texas Tech. Jung has shown flashes of brilliance, and when I say flashes, I mean one elite first half of the season in 2023. Since then, it has been rough sledding, a lot of swing and miss, and a lot of injuries. Now, I want to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that the injuries have happened in a way that it has been hard for him to get going and gain momentum, but even between the injuries, it has been really rough to watch at times. I am hopeful that under Skip and the new, younger, energized leadership, he will feel more comfortable and feel like he has more room to grow and flourish. I fear for what is to come if he doesn’t…
Biggest question mark? Is this the year he gains plate Discipline?
Projected Statline: .249/.305/.447
Evan Carter: Ah yes, the little savior. It feels like just yesterday he was called up and was scorching hot, helping this team win their first-ever World Series. Bottom line: when Evan Carter is healthy, this kid is elite, and this team wins. Full Count Carter is going to give you solid at-bats every time he steps into that box, and today it was announced that he would be the everyday CF, even against lefties, something Bochy refused to do. I love this. There is no way you are going to get better without the reps, which he has lacked against lefties his entire career. We know what Evan can do when healthy, and it almost feels lazy to list that at his question mark, but here we are.
Biggest question mark? How many games will we get?
Projected Statline .264/.366/.397
Wyatt Langford: The future MVP will arrive this season. No one has had a better spring than he has. He is primed to make that next leap and, along with Corey Seager, carry the offensive load. He has all 5 tools and the mental and emotional makeup you cannot get enough of in a locker room. The fact that he has not been signed to a long-term extension already is a travesty, but we will save this for another day. He has shown us in bits of his two seasons in the big leagues that he has everything you need to be a perennial All-Star. I believe this season he will not only be an All-Star but an MVP candidate. The third-year leap is coming for Wyatt. He had a 5.6 WAR last year in 134 games, and he is just getting started.
Biggest question mark? Is he going to be the streaky elite, or will he find consistency?
Projected statline: .273/.344/.488
Brandon Nimmo: The Return in the Marcus Semien trade arrives, and I could not be happier with what I am seeing so far. He mentioned that when the Rangers called him to let him know they wanted to trade for him, it fired him up. The Rangers let him know that they wanted him here and wanted him badly, so much so that they were willing to part with a franchise pillar, World Series-winning Gold Glove 2B, to get him. I am confident that on a new team with fewer expectations and media scrutiny than he received in NY, he will thrive. Brandon has been the model of consistency at the big league level, and I cannot think of a better vet outfielder to pair with the young Carter and Langford.
Biggest question mark? Will the walks tick back up?
Projected Statline: .267/.375/.422
Kyle Higashioka: Splitting time at catcher with Jansen, I love what I saw out of Kyle last year. I think at times it was rough on him because Jonah Heim was in a really rough way that we had to rely on Kyle more than we wanted to. I am confident that this season under a much better workload, he will be even better. His bat really started to come along last year, but the mileage on his legs started to show towards the end of the year. I am actually maybe most excited to see what we get from the duo of him and Jansen.
Biggest question mark? Can he capitalize on at bats?
Projected stat line: .245/.295/.415
Danny Jansen: The other half of our Catcher Duo. Danny was signed this offseason and, like Josh Smith from earlier, should have no problems filling any of the shoes left behind by Jonah Heim, who was abysmal last season. If all goes well, this catching tandem has the opportunity to really shine here in what has been a positional weakness for the Rangers all of the past two seasons.
Biggest question mark? Can he throw out runners?
Projected stat line: .232/.319/.393
Joc Pederson: Oh boy, this is another make-or-break candidate, and for Joc, this could be the end of the road in the big leagues if it does not pan out. In what I thought was a good signing going into last year, there was no one more disappointing in all of professional sport than Joc last year. When Joc is going well, he is one of the most fun players to watch. I desperately need to see another Joctober run. But I am not sure we will get it. He has struggled yet again and, to my eye, seems to just be slower. He is way behind fastballs and not making much contact at all these days. He is purely around because of the big contract handed out to him. How long of a leash are they willing to give him? We could really use the Joc we all know, but I worry that ship may have sailed. I am hopeful adding McCutchen to the roster, who is also going to DH, may be the fire Joc needs under his butt to get things going.
Biggest question mark? Does he even want it anymore?
Projected Statline: .246/.321/.428
Sam Haggerty: Sam was awesome last year. As a righty platoon outfield bat, he nails his role to a T. He is fast, plays solid defense, seems to be a good clubhouse guy, and hits lefties… what more could you want? Like seriously, what more do we want? He knows his role and executes it. His foot injury held him back some at the end of last season, but he should be in line to get some good playing time and meaningful at-bats. He is the type of underappreciated bench bat you need to go on a deep postseason run.
Biggest question mark? Will he become a full split with Evan Carter?
Projected statline: .252/.334/.368
Ezekiel Duran: He and Josh Smith are the lasting pieces in the Joey Gallo trade, and Zeke arguably had one of the most important stretches during the 2023 World Series run when Corey Seager went down during the first part of the season. He has shown flashes and then looked dreadful; again, he comes into big league camp scorching hot this spring. He is in line to be the utility man and has proven that defensively he can hold his own all over the diamond, a valuable type of player to have. I think Zeke is another guy that could benefit big time from a younger regime.
Biggest question mark? Can he cut down on the swing and miss?
Projected stat line: .235/.273/.325
Andrew McCutchen: A very late addition having only been on the team about 3 weeks prior to opening day, he might be just what the team needs as a veteran presence and fun clubhouse mentor. The former MVP has still been a decent player even in his late 30s. I think the hope in the clubhouse is that should he and Joc platoon DH, they might just be able to scrounge together some pop and big-time ABs for this club. And a little friendly competition never hurt anyone.
Biggest question mark? How much is left in the tank?
Projected statline: .241/.327/.387
PITCHERS
Nathan Eovaldi: Mr. Texas Ranger. Mr. Better with age. My favorite player on the team, model of consistency, and the type of teammate you keep on the staff and front office once he retires. Evo is coming off of the best year of his career with an eye-popping 1.73 ERA last year. Had he not been injured, he was likely looking at a top 3 Cy Young finish. That’s the problem, however, with Evo. In his 3 seasons with the team, he’s pitched over 150 innings one time. The Rangers will need him to hit that mark in order to accomplish what we want this season.
Biggest question mark? Was the 1.73 a fluke or is this the new EVO?
Projected Statline: 140 IP, 3.33 ERA, 1.087 WHIP, 147 K
Jacob DeGrom: The greatest pitcher of his generation sadly may not go down as such due to all of the injuries. However, he put that to rest last season, coming out and firing a 2.97 ERA over 172 innings pitched last year. If you are able to replicate those numbers, you have to feel confident you’ll be in position to contend for the playoffs come September. Still one of the nastiest pitchers alive, it all comes down to health. You have to believe the woes are behind him, and he will build upon last year to be even better in 2026.
Biggest question mark? How many innings do you get?
Projected statline: 150 IP, 2.76 ERA, .857 WHIP, 184 K
Jack Leiter: Very happy with what we saw out of Jack last season. In his first full year, he was able to pitch to a solid 3.86 ERA. With that under his belt, he is primed to take a leap forward and be a formidable force. The ability to learn from Evo and DeGrom should go a long way in his continued development and success. Should Jack find more consistency with his command, we could be looking at a future Cy Young Award contender.
Biggest question mark? Will he tap into his potential and take the step forward?
Projected statline: 170 IP, 3.57 ERA, 1.124 WHIP, 167 K
MacKenzie Gore: Acquired via trade this offseason, Gore comes into the rotation as the lone lefty and will have to be solid should the Rangers expect to contend. Gore has constantly been listed as a pitcher with some of the nastiest stuff in the game today; he has just struggled to put it all together over a full season. However, last year he was an All-Star, before his second half was derailed with injuries. I’m confident being on a better team with a better defense should naturally help his numbers. Pair that with the pitcher-friendly park in Arlington and the ability to learn from Evo and DeGrom, and I think we could be looking at a really solid arm here, potentially even 2nd best on the team.
Biggest question mark? Can he tap into that first half last year and sustain that over a season?
Projected statline: 165 IP, 3.86 ERA, 1.265 WHIP, 189 K
Kumar Rocker: Kumar beat out Jacob Latz for the 5th spot in the rotation, and you have to be happy for the highly touted former top prospect. No one is denying his talent; it’s really just a matter of putting it all together and adding in a better pitch mix to keep hitters off balance. His fastball and slider are elite, but when that’s all he’s throwing, it becomes easier to pick apart. Last season felt pretty typical of an up-and-down arm showing flashes of brilliance and also looking really human at points. The beauty in this is that we do not need Rocker to be elite; should he just provide a solid floor every 5th day, that would be more than enough.
Biggest question mark? Can he establish a third pitch?
Statline projection: 115 IP, 4.74 ERA, 1.378 WHIP, 112K
Bullpen
Jacob Latz: Jacob Latz wins the illustrious long man bullpen arm/spot starter role (I say sarcastically) after losing out on the 5th starter role to Kumar. Latz is a solid lefty who should continue to build on his prior successes. Last year, he had a sub-3 ERA over 85 innings pitched. I loved what I saw out of Latz and believe he could be a big bullpen piece this year. What is interesting to note is the Rangers will be getting Cody Bradford (injured) and Jordan Montgomery (injured) back at some point this season. Things then would get murky. But, we can cross that bridge when we get there.
Projected statline: 90 IP, 3.51 ERA, 1.247 WHIP, 48K
Biggest question mark? Does he use the rotation snub to fuel a dominant bullpen year?
Jalen Beeks: The 32-year-old was signed to a 1-year deal after the Rangers DFA’d Alexis Diaz in camp. Beeks comes to town boasting a career 4.31 ERA, having a mix of some good seasons and some rather forgettable seasons. Let’s hope he can tap into what made him great back in 2022 with the Rays, where he had a 2.80 ERA over 61 innings. Beeks is a lefty who primarily throws fastballs and changeups, literally…. That is it. Last year, his fastball sat around 94 with his changeup sitting around 88-89. I am hopeful Beeks can be a decent bulk inning reliever; he in the past has even operated as an opener for the Rays.
Biggest question mark? Which Beeks will we get?
Projected Statline: 48 IP, 3.98 ERA, 1.397 WHIP, 39 K
Cole Winn: Winn, the once highly touted Rangers starting pitching prospect, comes off of his first full season last year, where he had a 1.51 ERA over 41 innings pitched. What is interesting to me is his pitch mix; he had a pretty solid mixture of 4SFB, SL, SPLT, CUT, and SNK. Not a ton of relievers will throw that many pitches your way; his fastball sits about 96 and is solid, but the money pitch for Cole is his slider. Some beat writers around the team mention they would not be shocked if Winn ended up being the primary closer for the team when it is all said and done this year.
Biggest question mark? With tape out on him now will he continue his dominance or come back down to earth?
Projected statline: 52 IP, 2.98 ERA, 1.138 WHIP, 46K
Tyler Alexander: The underlying stats leave a lot to be desired. Tyler has been a solid innings eater though and is likely to be the first man out of the bullpen should the Rangers find themselves in a spot where they need innings to be eaten. He has opened games before as well. Another guy in the pen with a true 5-pitch mix, he will heavily rely on his sinker to produce some swing and miss. Not looking for him to be elite or blow the stats out of the water.
Biggest question mark? Is he on the team for the full season?
Projected statline: 35 IP, 4.15 ERA, 1.356 WHIP, 32K
Robert Garcia: Garcia probably deserves more credit for last season, in which he pitched to a 2.95 ERA over 64 innings with pretty great swing-and-miss metrics. However, I cannot shake from my memory all of the blown games he had in a row during the stretch run, when we were still sort of in a playoff spot race. I think Garcia is a really good reliever but am skeptical he will be able to be used in insanely high-leverage moments like a closer should. I believe he can thrive if used in the right spots, which should create some fun thought exercises for Skip Schumaker.
Biggest question mark? Will he be able to close?
Projected Statline: 61 IP, 3.15 ERA, 1.178 WHIP, 65K
Chris Martin: Ahh yes, Father Time himself. Chris Martin comes off of a 2025 with the Rangers in which he looked phenomenal…. When he was able to play. He had to be taken out of the game more times than I can count because of his body not holding up. He even made a comment this offseason that he was shocked the Rangers called and offered him a deal to return to the team; he was contemplating retirement. No one is doubting the ability that Martin has, and his 2.98 ERA over 42 innings last year shows he still has it. Skip has already said Martin will not be used on back-to-back days, likely all season long.
Biggest question mark? Can his body hold up? And how much do we get out of him?
Projected Statline: 48 IP, 2.85 ERA, 1.141 WHIP, 47K
Jakob Junis: Jakob signed with the Rangers on a 1-year deal back in January, and he is honestly one of the relievers I am most excited to see this season. The last 3 seasons have been pretty good for him as he has averaged a 3.17 ERA over 220 innings pitched. Sinker, slider, and changeup are his repertoire. He is not a hard thrower at all, topping out at about 91, but he is productive, creating a lot of outs with his changeup and slider.
Biggest question mark? Will he be able to work his way into high leverage situations?
Projected Statline: 62 IP, 3.14 ERA, 1.197 WHIP, 42K
Carter Baumler: The most exciting buzz out of camp has been the development of Carter Baumler, whom the Rangers took in the Rule 5 draft from the Orioles. Now what is interesting is that because he came through Rule 5, he has to stay on the big league roster all year long, or else he will be sent back to the Orioles. He earned his way onto this team and has looked really good this spring; however, he has never pitched above Double-A, so we will see what he can do at the Major League level.
Biggest question mark? Can his production translate to the show?
Projected stat line: 45 IP, 3.23 ERA, 1.178 WHIP, 52 K
Team Award projections (I am going to exclude Seager, Langford, DeGrom, and Evo from this since we know they would sweep awards and are our clear best players.)
Bounce back player: Evan Carter, this feels too easy. I am confident that should the injuries truly be behind him, he will provide everything we missed last season in the lower half of the lineup.
Breakout Player: Jack Leiter is an ace waiting to find the last missing piece. Should he find it, you might be looking at the AL West-winning Texas Rangers.
Biggest Disappointment: Josh Jung, I hate to do this. Jung should be our franchise cornerstone everyday 3B, and I desperately want him to be. However, someone has to be named here, and when you look at his career, not much points us in the direction of hope as of late. Really hoping he proves me wrong and makes me eat crow.
Best Offseason addition: Skip Schumaker. I know this is a managerial addition, but I am that confident in his ability to steer this ship and think he will have as big an impact as anything on this season.
For this season, I am expecting big things. The starting pitching and defense were literally the best in baseball last season, and we were only able to get to an 81-81 record. The offense was horrible, the worst I have ever seen in franchise history. I am confident that with Skip Schumaker coming in and breathing energy and life into this group of guys, we can get back to being a more balanced offense and not so much feast or famine. Should we even be average offensively, that alone would have to be worth 5+ wins this year. Should we get 50+ games started out of Evo and DeGrom and at least 135+ games out of Corey Seager, I am confident that this team can be sitting firmly in contention to be in the playoffs come September.
My official Prediction is for the Rangers to be 87-75 and a wild card berth
Here is to a New Year with a new Manager and NEW ENERGY!!!!