SURPRISE, Ariz. — Alejandro Osuna had a busy offseason, full of accomplishments.
He joined a regular hitting group that included Alex Bregman and Cody Bellinger, and he peppered them both with questions.
He went to the Mexican Winter League for a month and led all players with at least 50 at-bats. Earned himself a spot on Team Mexico for the World Baseball Classic.
Pretty cool.
Rangers
Also true: Perhaps no Ranger bidding for a spot on the roster lost more traction this winter, a direct result of the Brandon Nimmo trade. It gave the Rangers a durable replacement for Adolis García in right field. Nimmo is also a left-handed hitter — like Osuna. So is Evan Carter. If there is a path for Osuna, it’s as a left-handed bench option with speed on a team teeming with left-handed outfielders and DHs.
And this is how Osuna responded Friday, with a broad smile, to questions about obstacles in front of him this spring before starting in right field in the Rangers’ 7-3 loss to Kansas City in the spring training opener: “I’m just gonna play baseball. I’m thinking I’m still going to play hard, play really good defense, control things I can control and really just enjoy baseball.”
If you squinted just a little, you’d think Dani Rojas, the exuberant Mexican soccer character from Ted Lasso whose motto was a gleeful “fútbol is life,” just stepped into some baseball spikes. Right down to the flowing locks and the ever-present twinkle in his eye. It’s really not a bad comp.
Texas Rangers outfielder Alejandro Osuna gets a kiss from his nephew Roberto Osuna before a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Surprise, Ariz.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
It also might sum up the extra tool Osuna possesses that could allow him to force the Rangers to find room for him. His energy, like that of fellow “Little Rascal” Cody Freeman, is ever-present. And it is felt by members of the organization from Chris Young on down. Even new manager Skip Schumaker, who wasn’t around the team as much as some others, noticed it. And in case you haven’t heard, Schumaker is very big on positive energy as integral to a winning culture.
“I do think the role of a bench player is to be the starting players’ biggest fan, to create energy, life in the dugout and in the clubhouse organically,” said Schumaker, who spent a good portion of his playing career in just that same role. “It’s hard to be an everyday player and bring energy every single day, and that’s why it’s super important to have a bench, to bring life and to have fun. Coming to the ballpark every day is important. I think you think about it at the end, you want production, but I do feel like the energy and personality does mean something.”
How much is something different altogether. The Rangers have other outfielders in camp, including veterans Sam Haggerty, a switch-hitter who is very good from the right side against lefties, Mark Canha and fellow scrapper Michael Helman. The four of them are competing for two spots.
Even Schumaker admitted the Rangers will take the “best hitters and the highest leverage,” in all likelihood to finish out the roster. Which doesn’t necessarily eliminate the 23-year-old Osuna either. Though he looked overmatched after being called up early in the season, he made steady progress at the plate, culminating in a September in which his OBP (.357) led the club and his OPS (.748) ranked second.
He went into the offseason with a plan to work on his hand placement in his swing to get him better positioned and eliminate some extra movements. Also, he worked on his foot speed. Pinch-running will also be a key element for a winning bench player. He was successful on 71% of his steals in his minor league career, but he was only 5 for 9 in the majors. In the short sample in the Mexican League, the numbers improved to 8 for 11 (72.7%).
On Friday, he went 0 for 2 in the spring opener, getting called out on a third strike that was off the plate in the second inning and grounding out in the fifth after fouling off a pair of two-strike pitches just off the plate.
In the first at-bat, Osuna opted not to challenge the call; the Rangers had already lost one of their ABS review challenges and didn’t want to potentially lose the second so early, but the ball was off the plate and in on his hands.
Texas Rangers outfielder Alejandro Osuna takes the field for the fifth inning of a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Surprise, Ariz.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
Osuna will depart the Rangers on March 1 to join Team Mexico for the WBC. He could be gone for up to two weeks, serving as the fourth outfielder behind Randy Arozarena, Alek Thomas and Jarren Duran. But with Nimmo and Langford taking slow starts before appearing in games, Osuna is likely to pile up at-bats in the coming week. The Rangers don’t want him to be too anxious to make an impression in the short period during which he’ll have a lot of eyes on him.
“He’s going to impact our club,” Schumaker said. “I’m not sure when — if it’s opening day, the first month or the second month, but he’s going to impact it. I want him to go about it like he’s trying to make the team, regardless of the path. I’ve been in his situation before and you just do whatever you can to control the controllables.
“I really like how he goes about the game, how he plays it. He had an unbelievable spring training last year, when I was here and it kind of opened some eyes. He almost forced himself on to the roster then.”
And if does things the same way this spring, he might just make it tough on the Rangers again.
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