Texas Rangers’ Brandon Nimmo reacts during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)
Jessica Tobias/AP Photo/Jessica Tobias
BOSTON — If by chance the Rangers return home in kilts, well, you’ll have to excuse them.
The Rangers capped a .500 road trip with a 6-4 win against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park Sunday night in front of thousands of boisterous Scottish soccer fans. The unique atmosphere, created by a nearby World Cup group-stage game, left an impression on a Rangers team that staved off a sweep and kept themselves tied for the American League’s last wild card berth.
Here are five other things we learned last week.
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Brandon Nimmo trusted the process
Brandon Nimmo began this most recent road trip with a .189/.278/.324 slash line in the last 30 games, but because his peripheral metrics and expected statistics suggested a case of “tough luck,” he continued to trust his process.
Nimmo finished 8 for 24 in six road trip games and had multiple hits in four of them for his most productive week since the first month of the season. He recorded two hits in Sunday’s win against the Boston Red Sox and clanked a two-run double off the Green Monster in the fourth inning to break the game open and snap the team’s unproductive skid in bases-loaded situations.
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The 33-year-old has slashed .257/.330/.408 in his first season with the Rangers and maintains a 51.9% hard hit percentage that ranks within the 93rd percentile leaguewide.
“It’s always great to see results,” Nimmo said. “One week isn’t going to fix that, so I think you just keep sticking with the plan, right? Regardless of the results being there or not, if I’m hitting the ball hard, then I’m going to celebrate that. I need to try and keep that perspective as much as I can. It’s very hard on a daily basis, but I need to do that and I need to stick to that plan.”
The home runs of it all
Rangers right-handed pitchers Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi have allowed the third- and seventh-most home runs among all American League starters this season. If there is one major point of regression between this year’s staff and last year’s — besides possibly the inability of the back half of the rotation to pitch deep into games — it’s this.
Eovaldi allowed two home runs in Sunday’s win against the Red Sox, both to first baseman Willson Contreras, and is on pace to allow a career-worst 39 home runs. His co-ace, deGrom, is also on pace to allow a career-worst 30 home runs. Ditto for right-handed pitcher Jack Leiter, who’s on pace to allow a career-worst 20 home runs, though, to be fair, he has a significantly smaller career sample size to work with.
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Jacob Latz remains lights out
It’s no longer a question as to whether Jacob Latz is the most valuable member of the bullpen.
It’s become a question as to whether Latz is the most valuable Rangers pitcher altogether.
His numbers as closer suggest that there’s a case. His 1.62 ERA, 1.3 WAR and 0.601 WHIP rank in the top five among all relief pitchers who’ve logged at least 30 innings and 25 appearances this season. His five multiple-inning saves are tied with San Diego Padres flamethrower Mason Miller for the most in baseball. He’s given the Rangers their best ninth-inning option since right-hander Kirby Yates was an All-Star two seasons ago, and given how much of a question mark that role was at the start of this year, he’s been arguably the team’s most beneficial surprise.
The 30-year-old has a 0.93 ERA and six saves in his last seven games. He allowed only one hit in 4 1/3 innings on this most-recent road trip.
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Can Justin Foscue carve out a role?
There’s a position left vacant on this Rangers roster after their first option lasted less than two months.
Can Justin Foscue fill it on a long-term basis?
Foscue, a former first-round pick, has effectively replaced outfielder Andrew McCutchen as the club’s right-handed designated hitter and its pinch hitter against left-handed pitchers off the bench. The 27-year-old has slashed .407/.467/.741 in 27 at-bats vs. lefties this season and has given the Rangers a legitimate strength against a perceived weakness.
His ability to hit southpaws is possibly his only ticket to a long-term roster spot given his defensive limitations. The team’s health will also play a part in how he’s used. He’s only started two games at designated hitter because, with shortstop Corey Seager and left fielder Wyatt Langford sidelined for significant chunks of this season, the Rangers have needed to play him at second base against lefties while utility player Ezequiel Duran patches holes elsewhere. Plus, if the Rangers believe designated hitter Joc Pederson has earned more starts against left-handers, Foscue’s opportunities might become even more limited.
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But, if Foscue can continue to perform in a platoon role, there’s real value.
The highs and lows of the Jake Burger experience
His offensive roller coaster is already well-documented, and at the moment, Jake Burger is at the top of a crescendo with a .435/.500/.783 slash line in his last seven games.
The metaphor might also apply to his defense.
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Burger, in Sunday’s win against the Red Sox, sandwiched one ugly defensive play in between two brilliant ones. In the third inning, with one out and a runner at third base, Burger fielded a Wilyer Abreu ground ball at first base, stepped on the first base bag for one out and rifled an 82.5 mph throw to catcher Kyle Higashioka to turn a double play and maintain what was then a two-run lead.
Then, in the eighth inning, with a runner at first base in a two-run game, Burger misplayed a Contreras pop-up in foul territory and dropped what would’ve been the second out to force Latz into the game. In the ninth with one out, he caught an even trickier Isiah Kiner-Falefa pop-up that carried all the way to the front doorstep of the home team’s dugout.
“I hope people remember that more than the pop fly,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said of the double play ball. “Because that play was huge at the time.”