Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Rangers

 

You'd think that something could have gotten done.

The 2023 Rangers was the foundation of a terrific team, with a burgeoning young core, a lot of great contracts of prime performers, the managerial eye of Bruce Bochy, and proof of October success. Yet now the 2023 season feels like an anomaly, as every subsequent year the Rangers' luck has failed to persist long enough to ensure a fighting chance. In 2024, the Rangers were close to competing but trailed off in September. And in 2025, the Rangers went from potential sellers to July buyers, brought on a ton more talent yet still couldn't match up to the Mariners, or even the Astros. So at season's end, Bochy left, Garcia, Heim and Semien were gone, Seager is being shopped, and the dream, as it was in 2023, is over.

That doesn't mean this team still won't compete. A lot of prime pieces are still young, including Wyatt Langford, Jack Leiter, Evan Carter and Kumar Rocker, and enough people have stayed around to ensure that the team probably won't fall to last in 2026. But the damage seems to be done, and what remains may not be enough to fully chase the top this year.

Josh Jung, after a rookie success in 2023, met with an injury a week into the 2024 season and was still slightly limited in 2025. His path to A-list greatness has been rerouted it seems, as he's now a .250 hitter, who only had 61 RBIs and 14 homers in 131 games. Defensively he's slightly below average. He'll be 28 next year, meaning he either figures it out or alludes to the fact that this is all he can do.

2026 Prediction: Closer to his 2023 numbers, but he may lose even more playing time to Josh Smith.

Jonah Heim also saw his stock drop from 2023. The 95-RBI season of 2023 may have been a very strong fluke, as offensively Heim took another step back this year, hitting .213 with 11 homers and 43 RBIs in 124 games. With a better catcher on the roster, one with a better power bat, it's no wonder Heim was cut after the season.

2026 Prediction: Needs the Carson Kelly path. Might need to backup somebody this year only to catch fire down the road. He just needs to trust the process.

Evan Carter, the rookie hero of the 2023 postseason, still has yet to play a full season in the majors. Both 2024 and 2025 were cut short by injuries, though this season was a fuller and more satisfying picture of his talents. In 63 games he hit .248 with 5 homers and 25 RBIs, plus a .728 OPS. Carter will be 23 next year, and still has a relatively high ceiling.

2026 Prediction: Huge breakout, with an ASG nod and some MVP votes. 

As Heim struggled, new pickup Kyle Higashioka, the former Yankee backup who made a name for himself as a flashy choice in San Diego, did exactly what he was signed to do: give backstop security while also helping out for some clutch power moments. Higgy had his best statistical season to date this year, in addition to crossing 300 at-bats for the first time. In 94 games he hit .241, with 11 home runs and a career high of 47 RBIs. The idea is that Higgy will be the starter next year, which is pretty huge.

2026 Prediction: Not quite as much of an exclamation point as this year, seeing as it's very likely he'll be losing playing time to Danny Jansen, but with some excellent clutch moments and more of the power hitting he's known for.

After several seasons of being a well-loved power bat with the occasional contact streak, Joc Pederson had his first true gutter ball since the heat of his LA days, in a season with the Rangers. In 96 games, Pederson could only muster a .181 average, 9 homers and 26 RBIs. It just was not happening with Pedey at the plate this year, which is a shame, cause he's been on a nice run since 2021.

2026 Prediction: Bounces back with enough leverage to be a deadline bait.

Similarly, sly offseason trade Jake Burger had an up and down year in Arlington, going from a .228 first half average, complete with time spent in the minors, to a sudden surge midyear, hitting .262 in 28 second half games, with 5 homers and 18 RBIs. I genuinely think Burger, like Josh Bell before him, only gets truly hot in August and September, and teams should use this to their advantage.

2026 Prediction: Much better year. 30 homers again. 

Miraculously, though thought dead and picked up just to see if he had anything left, Patrick Corbin actually put in some halfway-decent work for the Rangers this year after burning the Nats contract. He started 30 games, went 7-11 with a 4.40 ERA and 131 Ks. Curiously, his WHIP of 1.365 was his best since 2019, his last truly great season. The Rangers needed an innings-eating, big game guy, and despite many of them getting hurt, Corbin persisted and gave this team something halfway decent. 

2026 Prediction: The Minnesota Twins come calling and he gives them the most innings of the rotation. Are they good innings? Not really.

Kumar Rocker, in between injuries to other pitchers and rotation vacancies, had more of a sample size this year after a rookie cameo last year. People are still trying to figure out where Rocker fits into this team, especially considering that his Vandy teammate Jack Leiter has already proven more MLB staying power. Rocker's results this year were disappointing, with a 5.74 ERA in 14 starts, despite 56 Ks. 

2026 Prediction: So next year, the Rangers will likely have much more rotation room, with DeGrom, Eovaldi and Leiter being the only non-negotiables. Rocker will likely be an Opening Day rotation member, but only if his arm is in decent shape this spring. If he can get a full season of MLB level work then the Rangers will finally be vindicated in picking him up.

Similarly, Jacob Latz was not initially thought of as a rotation option this year, as he began the season in the bullpen, but, as it tends to in Arlington, duty calls. In 8 starts, Latz had a 2.72 ERA, with 34 Ks and a 1.084 WHIP. He wasn't bad as a reliever either, with a 2.93 ERA in 46 innings of mostly long work.

2026 Prediction: Best case for him, begins the year as the fifth starter and works his way up as the year goes on with good results. However there might also be a prospect heir apparent that comes up and relegates Latz to a swing position in later months.

Finally, Michael Helman's age-29 season was the most prosperous one for the career minor leaguer. Despite playing 10 games for the Twins last season, Helman got caught in a game of waiver tag in 2025 that got him on 4 different rosters over the course of the season. It eventually got him to Texas, where help in the outfield was needed, and he made a pretty decent impression, with 5 homers and 20 RBIs in 38 games, plus some decent defensive work in the outfield. Not sure how much longevity it'll give Helman, but it was a good use of an opportunity.

2026 Prediction: Fun backup bench piece, mostly replacement level.

Coming Tomorrow- A few last remnants of an unassuming Rays team.