2025 Rangers in Review: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and What’s Next

The Rangers season came to a close on Sunday with a loss to Cleveland.

Sep 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Dylan Moore (25) celebrates after scoring during the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The 2025 Texas Rangers season is over. A year full of highs and mainly lows resulted in a 81-81 record. The month of September perfectly encapsulated the Rangers season. Flashes of greatness on offense backed by superb pitching sent Texas on a 8-4 start to September.

That was immediately followed by an offense that went cold and a multi-game losing streak eliminated them from the playoffs. The latter was the more accurate representation of Bruce Bochy's team. Let's take a look at some of the positives and negatives from this season.

The Pitching Staff Shined

Heading into 2025, the major question marks around this team were set on the pitching staff. No one expected this rotation to turn in an MLB-leading 3.47 ERA. Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi were exceptional at the top.

deGrom hoped to make 30 starts this season, and he did just that to the tune of a 12-8 record with a 2.97 ERA. It's the most starts he's made since 2019 with the Mets. However, we saw a different version of deGrom that fans are accustomed to seeing. In years past, he was able to blow by hitters with 100+ on his fastball but this year, he took some velocity back.

That could be the reason he only missed one start in 2025. His best performance came in May against the Houston Astros. He threw eight shutout innings while allowing five hits and striking out seven.

Sep 6, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) throws a pitch against the Houston Astros during the third inning at Globe Life Field. | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Eovaldi was just as impressive, if not better. Injuries shortened what would've been a Cy Young-level season from the 35-year-old. He boasted an 11-3 record, a 1.73 ERA, and 129 strikeouts. Some of his jaw-dropping accomplishments included a month of July where he only allowed two runs, and a start against the Reds where he threw a complete game and struck out eight.

Patrick Corbin turned in his best season since 2019 and gave Texas several quality starts. Pitchers like Jack Leiter and Jacob Latz took significant strides as well. There is no doubt that if the offense was slightly better, this would be a dangerous playoff team.

Jack Leiter strikes out 10 to cap his strong rookie campaign ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/EXG5HDiITh

— Victory+ (@victoryplustv) September 27, 2025

The Offensive Struggles Hurt the Rangers

It is no secret that the core of the issues with Texas centered around the offense. Many of the problems that plagued the Rangers in 2024 carried over into this season. Despite the additions of Joc Pederson and Jake Burger, the offense struggled mightily. Pederson hit .181 and nine home runs with most of the production coming in the last month. Burger was streaky while dealing with injuries.

Most players regressed, including Adolis Garcia, Marcus Semien, Jonah Heim, and even Corey Seager. Hitters couldn't get in favorable counts nor could they hit well with runners in scoring position. However, it would be unfair of me not to highlight some of the bright spots.

Sep 5, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford (36) reacts after hitting a double during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Wyatt Langford turned in a solid sophomore campaign with 22 homers, which led the team, and 62 runs driven in. Josh Smith provided good ABs at the top of the lineup and Josh Jung bounced back after being sent down to Triple-A. However, General Manager Chris Young will have his hands full as he attempts to retool this offense.

The Little Rascals Provided a Spark

Easily one of the best stretches came when the "little rascals" took the league by storm. Texas looked dead in the water, and the hopes of making it to the postseason were dwindling. Injuries piled up, which put inexperienced players in the lineup.

With little to no expectations for these players to deliver, they soared and gave the Rangers some much-needed life. Cody Freeman, Michael Helman, Alejandro Osuna, and Dustin Harris made up the little rascals, a term coined by color commentator David Murphy.

Freeman delivered multiple clutch hits with his shortened approach. In two strike counts, Freeman would choke up and shoot the ball to right field. Harris provided a walk-off hit against the Houston Astros, and Michael Helman hit the lone grand slam for Texas this season. Osuna provided contagious energy and clutch hits.

🚨DUSTIN HARRIS WALKS IT OFF🚨 pic.twitter.com/4kc7KaGwmF

— Victory+ (@victoryplustv) September 6, 2025

All of these players were scrappy and brought a youthful energy that almost got the Rangers into the playoffs. Hopefully, they will be a part of the plans for next year.

There is no doubt it was a disappointing season in Arlington. Fans have a right to be frustrated, but it's important to take away the positives and hope that can carry over into 2026.

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