Having played for the Texas Rangers for two seasons, many of the players that Travis Jankowski played with in 2023-24 are still with the team.
Now a first base coach on new manager Skip Schumaker’s staff, it makes sense that in addition to coaching first base the veteran outfielder will probably work with the Rangers’ outfielders on defense, too. There is one player he hopes to spend time working with in the offseason and in spring training, in the hope of unlocking his full potential — Evan Carter.
Carter’s talent is immense. But his injuries have essentially derailed his progress since his MLB debut.
“I hope that I can get Evan to open up to me a little bit about injuries because I haven’t had the healthiest career you know,” Jankowski said. “I’ve gone through injuries, I’ve battled injuries. I know the mental toll that can take on you. So hopefully he can use me as kind of an outlet in that aspect.”
Travis Jankowski’s Hope for Evan Carter
Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Carter showed incredible promise as a September call-up in 2023 when Adolis Garcia suffered an injury. He remained with the team for the World Series run and became a world champion even though he was still rookie eligible.
Since then, his career has been marked with struggles and injuries. Carter played in just 45 games in 2024 and slashed .188/.272/.361 with five home runs and 15 RBI. He missed most of the season with a back injury that was eventually diagnosed as a stress reaction that required surgery.
He didn’t make the Rangers’ opening day roster for 2025 as he working on swing mechanics to help alleviate stress on his back. He played 63 games this season, with a slash of .247/.336/.392 with five home runs and 25 RBI. He spent time on the injured list with a right quad strain, back spasms and a left wrist fracture that ended his season.
Jankowski remembers the Carter of 2023, who slashed .306/.413/.645 with five home runs and 12 RBI in just 23 games and flashed an incredible glove in left field in the World Series.
“Evan got called up quick and he made a huge impact for us in 2023,” Jankowski said. “He was a huge reason why we won that World Series. His talent is through the charts.”
Carter also has speed, something he has been able to unlock in the field when healthy but not as much on the basepaths. Last year he showed promise, swiping 14 bases.
That’s the hope Jankowski has for Carter — a healthy season where he can help the speedy outfielder find a groove on the basepaths.
“He’s young, he wants to learn,” Jankowski said. “I know that from playing with him he’s incredibly curious about learning and getting better and I think just giving him some more mental tips and breaking down some stuff for him, not at an elementary level but at a base stealing mentality level where it’s just learning. I think that’s really going to help him grow and steal bases and really take his game to the next level.”
Recommended Articles