Three Players Who Must Step Up for the Texas Rangers Next Season
The Texas Rangers are coming off a disappointing season in which they finished 81-81. Most of the blame falls on the offense, which struggled overall, only hitting .234. They do have multiple pitchers who are free agents, so they will need some others to step up.
They need a number of players to improve on their 2025 performance so that they can have a better year and compete for the American League West title. These are the Texas Rangers players who need to step up the most.
Three Texas Rangers Who Need to Step Up in 2026
Jake Burger
The Rangers traded for Jake Burger to replace former first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. Things largely did not work out for Burger, as he hit just .236/.269/.419 with 16 home runs. That was his lowest amount since 2021, when he only played 51 games. He was brought in to try to help a struggling Rangers’ offense, but he fell into the same funk as them.
Burger played in 103 games, as he struggled with his injuries and performance, and eventually spent some time at Triple-A. He also struggled defensively with -2 outs above average. He will need to step up big if the Rangers want to bounce back next year.
Joc Pederson
Joc Pederson was the biggest free agent signing by the Rangers last offseason, and he was expected to bring some thump into the lineup. However, the opposite happened, as he hit just .181/.285/.328 with nine home runs on the year. He also went through a 0-for-41 streak, which hurt his season and the Rangers as a whole.
He is the fourth-highest-paid player on the roster, and he will need to step up for the Rangers to succeed. The team will need him to crush righties and be a bat that they can rely on.
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