Starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery hoisted the the Commissioners Trophy in celebration of the Rangers defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 to win the World Series in Phoenix in 2023.
Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer
The Texas Rangers are North Texas’ most recent pro sports champions, having won the World Series in 2023.
Despite the recent success, the team has undergone big changes in the years since and entered a new era ahead of the 2026 season, moving on from title-winning manager Bruce Bochy and key players like Marcus Semien, Adolis García and Jonah Heim.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Texas Rangers:
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History
The franchise was founded as the Washington Senators in 1961 and became the Texas Rangers when they relocated to North Texas for the 1972 season. The Rangers didn’t find much success early in their history, but began to find their footing in the late ’80s and early ’90s.The signing of legendary pitcher Nolan Ryan for the 1989 season led to some of the most iconic moments in franchise history.
Rangers pitcher Nolan Ryan pitched against the California Angeles at Anaheim Stadium on Sept. 30, 1989. Going into the eighth inning Ryan was pitching a perfect game and needed only three more strike-outs to reach the 300 mark for the year.
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During his five-year stint with Texas, Ryan tallied his 5,000th career strikeout, 300th career win and his sixth and seventh no-hitters. He was also at the center of one of the most memorable brawls in baseball history, when Robin Ventura charged at the 46-year-old Ryan after a hit by pitch in 1993.
Related: Rangers flashback: Relive Nolan Ryan’s beatdown of Robin Ventura
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Pitcher Kenny Rogers authored another iconic Rangers moment in 1994, when he threw the 12th perfect game in MLB history on July 28.
The franchise had a significant breakthrough two seasons later when it won its first division title and made its first playoff appearance in 1996. The Rangers won their first ever playoff game 6-2 over the Yankees, but dropped the following three to lose the series 3-1. The team made two more playoff appearances in 1998 and 1999, led by manager Johnny Oates and a core featuring Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez, Juan González and Rusty Greer.
Despite that success, the Rangers soon entered another playoff drought. They didn’t get back to the playoffs again until 2010 when they did so in style by making a run to their first World Series in franchise history. They lost to the San Francisco Giants in five games.
Texas built on that success with a team-record 96-win regular season and another World Series appearance in 2011. However, they lost a heartbreaking seven-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Game 6 in particular is remembered as one of the greatest games in baseball history. The Rangers led the series 3-2 and entered the ninth inning of that game with a two-run lead and a chance to win their first World Series in franchise history. However, the Cardinals put together a two-out rally punctuated by David Freese’s game-tying 2 RBI triple off the wall in right field. Freese later won it with a solo home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to force Game 7 and extend the series. The Cardinals won Game 7 as the Rangers fell just short for the second year in a row.
While they didn’t win a title, the Rangers of the early 2010s were led by a cast of fan favorites and franchise legends. These include manager Ron Washington and star players like Adrian Beltré, Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Josh Hamilton and Michael Young.
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Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy took his turn to raise the World Series trophy at Chase Field in Phoenix on Nov. 1, 2023. The Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-1.
Tom Fox/Staff Photographer
It was more than a decade until the Rangers made it back to the World Series in 2023. However, the third time proved to be the charm for the Rangers as they won their first title against the Arizona Diamondbacks behind Corey Seager’s World Series MVP performance. Other key players from this team include Marcus Semien, Adolis García and Nathan Eovaldi.
Texas has not returned to the playoffs since their 2023 run. A new era began in 2026 with the departure of World Series-winning manager Bruce Bochy and key players like Semien, García and Jonah Heim ahead of the year.
Key players
Here are some other key players to know on the 2026 team:
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Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) fielded a ground ball by Arizona Diamondbacks batter Gabriel Moreno, making the out at first during the first inning May 13, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Shortstop Corey Seager: Five-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, two-time World Series MVP and World Series champion and 2016 Rookie of the Year.
Pitcher Jacob deGrom: Two-time Cy Young Award winner, five-time All-Star and 2014 Rookie of the Year.
Outfielder Wyatt Langford: No. 4 overall pick in 2023 MLB draft. He has been an above-average hitter and defender early in his big league career and could become Texas’ next big star player.
Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi threw to the Seattle Mariners in the first inning of the game April 7, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
Pitcher Nathan Eovaldi: Two-time All-Star and one top-five Cy Young finish. He is considered an elite playoff performer with a 9-3 record and 3.05 ERA in the postseason.
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Outfielder Brandon Nimmo: The big return from the Marcus Semien trade, Nimmo has a long track record of consistent production and brings a veteran presence to the clubhouse.
The Rangers’ new manager, Skip Schumaker (center) was flanked by President of Baseball Operations Chris Young (left) and General Manager Ross Fenstermaker during a news conference Oct. 10, 2025, at Globe Life Field.
Angela Piazza/Staff Photographer
Notable people
Owner: Ray Davis
President of baseball operations: Chris Young
General manager: Ross Fenstermaker
Manager: Skip Schumaker
Game 3 of the American League Championship Series between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros took place at Globe Life Field in October 2023, in Arlington. A Globe Life Field record crowd of 42,368 was in attendance that day.
Elías Valverde II/Staff Photographer
Stadium
The Rangers’ home games are at Globe Life Field in Arlington. The park, which has a retractable roof and a capacity of around 40,000, opened in 2020.
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Rivalries
The team has rivalries with its four AL West divisional opponents: the Houston Astros, the Athletics, the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels. Most notable of these is the in-state rivalry with the Astros.
Iván Rodriguez was American League MVP in 1999. He won his honor by doing what he did best: swinging at (and hitting) just about everything. Rodriguez hit .332/.356/.558, drawing just 24 walks and striking out only 64 times in 630 plate appearances. He played in Texas from 1991 to 2002 and was also with the Rangers in 2009.
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Legends
The team has inducted 27 players, executives and broadcasters to its team Hall of Fame. In addition to the MLB’s universal retirement of Jackie Robinson’s number (42), the team has retired the numbers of five other players: Iván Rodríguez (7), Michael Young (10), Johnny Oates (26), Adrian Beltré (29) and Nolan Ryan (34).