Two seasons removed from their first World Series title in franchise history in 2023, the Texas Rangers’ euphoria of reaching the pinnacle of baseball has yet to produce sustained success.
After two consecutive years without a playoff appearance, including an 81-81 finish in 2025, President of Baseball Operations Chris Young spent the offseason retooling his roster and coaching staff.
Young made major changes to the organization, parting ways with Bruce Bochy, a four-time World Series-winning manager. He also traded second baseman Marcus Semien to the New York Mets for outfielder Brandon Nimmo.
The trade for Nimmo has served as the organization’s biggest offseason move thus far, as he is projected to hit leadoff and play right field this season. His consistent production and power are expected to bolster an offense searching for results.
To return to the ‘promised land,’ however, a singular trade will not improve the Rangers’ offense to the level it needs to be. Rather, it needs incremental improvement from the offensive unit as a collective over the course of the year.
With a 26-man roster split between pitchers and position players, sustained success rarely hinges on just one or two all-star or MVP-caliber seasons from cornerstone players. Over a season that stretches 162 games, legitimate contention requires consistent production from each of the nine hitters in the lineup, along with a reliable platoon of substitutes and steady contributions across the pitching staff.
This dynamic was evident in 2025, as the Rangers’ pitching staff led MLB with a 3.47 ERA, but could not compensate for an offense that ranked 26th among 30 teams with a .234 batting average. The club became the first team since the 2012 Tampa Bay Rays to lead the league in ERA and miss the postseason.
To develop a team with strength in all facets of the game, the Rangers must rely on players they have drafted and developed just as much as they rely on their veteran pieces. Young talent like outfielders Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter, third baseman Josh Jung and pitchers Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker must show improvement for the Rangers to begin producing this year.
On top of the young talent, players who have shown regression, such as first baseman Joc Pederson, must rebound to add a consistent presence in the middle of the lineup.
Offensive regression as a whole over the last two seasons has been the main factor for the lack of overall success, which led to the mini-offensive overhaul and trade of Semien. For the rest of the hitters who remained to be able to keep their spots in the lineup, noticeable improvements must make themself apparent this season – and soon.
Health also remains central to the team’s pursuit of a run back to the playoffs, as the team has been ravaged by injuries over the past two seasons. The depth of the team must remain serviceable, with utility players like Ezequiel Durán, Sam Haggerty and Cody Freeman having to remain ready at a moment’s notice to fill in any spot in the lineup or on the field.
The pitching staff, on the other hand, must maintain the success it built last season. Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and MacKenzie Gore headline a rotation that represents the team’s greatest strength entering 2026.
Gore brings two years of club control and gives Texas a third all-star caliber arm at the top of the staff. With deGrom and Eovaldi both aging, Gore, who ranked in the 80th percentile of the league in strikeout and whiff rate last year, reduces the burden on deGrom and Eovaldi.
With last season’s sub-3.00 ERAs from deGrom and Eovaldi, a second consecutive season of strong production from the pair and steady progression from Gore and Leiter would significantly expand the club’s competitive margin.
In reality, the Rangers sit closer to playoff contention than their 2025 record and offseason rap sheet suggest. Replicating the pitching staff’s dominance while elevating the offense to at least league-average production would materially alter their trajectory.
Competing in the AL West, led by the defending champion Seattle Mariners and perennial postseason contender Houston Astros, ensures little margin for error, leaving the race projected to remain competitive throughout the season.
However, behind elite starting pitching and a lineup hopeful for improvement, the Rangers should remain firmly in the race deep into September.
Expect Texas to finish 90-72 and secure a Wild Card berth in 2026. The roster has changed, but the foundation supporting another October appearance remains intact.