Will the Texas Rangers Rebound in 2025?

      It is an understatement to say that the Texas Rangers had a disappointing 2024 season. One year removed from their first World Series title, the team showed promise for the year, with top prospects Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford expected to play a full MLB season.

    Things didn't go according to plan, however, as injuries devastated the team, which finished under .500 and missed the playoffs. 

    The Rangers have had a busy off-season thus far, extending contracts and signing free agents in the hopes of taking back the AL West division. The most notable additions include corner infielder Jake Burger, designated hitter Joc Pederson, relief pitcher Chris Martin, and a 3-year extension of starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi.

    With the strong additions also come a few losses to the organization. These include all-star closer Kirby Yates, fellow relief pitcher Jose Leclerc, 3-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. 

    We have seen that the Rangers have been productive this off-season, and the team looks to be headed more or less in the right direction. The lineup is still potent, featuring the ever-dangerous Corey Seager along with strong bats in Marcus Semien, Josh Jung and Adolis Garcia. The rotation is also looking good, with Eovaldi and a healthy Jacob deGrom leading the way.

    I think the most important factor for a successful 2025 season will be Carter. We have seen the potential he has in the 2023 playoffs, when he set the record for the most doubles hit in a single postseason. The success did not carry over into 2024 however, which saw Carter batting only .188 in 45 games before missing the rest of the year with a back injury. If he has a healthy and productive 2025 season, he can be one of the league's better players.

    The same can be said for Langford. The left fielder showed extreme talent in the minor leagues before meriting an Opening Day call-up. The rookie had his moments in his debut season, but overall a lack-luster campaign which saw just 16 home runs in 134 games; not nearly what his minor league statistics suggested. Langford now has a year of experience under his belt, and so should be more comfortable with an everyday starting role for a competitive team.

    Other than the offense, which has seemed to take a step in the right direction this off-season, the Rangers need a strong starting rotation in order to find success. As previously mentioned, the headliners of this rotation are deGrom and Eovaldi, which form a formidable one-two punch, assuming they can both remain healthy. But besides the pair of aces, the team will also utilize Jon Gray, Tyler Mahle, and Cody Bradford, who all have found success at the major league level. Kumar Rocker is also an available option. Rocker had a brief 2024 campaign that showed that he can be a regular member of a five-man starting rotation.

    The final attribute for the team is the bullpen; and this has been their biggest problem for a while. To make matters worse, their closer left in free agency, along with Leclerc, who has experience in the closing role. General Manager Chris Young has responded to these losses by signing Martin, Jacob Webb, and Hoby Milner as free agents. As of right now it looks as if Martin will be closing the bulk of games in 2025.

    The Rangers have seemed to get stronger in the off-season. But so have the Astros and Mariners, who share the division with Texas and will be competing for playoff spots. Right now, the Rangers are underdogs in the division. That doesn't mean it will be impossible or even shocking for the team to get into the playoffs. They have a real chance, but they must do everything right in order to take advantage of that chance. While it looks today as though the team will not make the postseason, we have learned from watching the game of baseball that truly, anything can happen.