Evan Carter’s Recent Performance is Thrilling for Rangers’ Future Goals

The Texas Rangers have shown plenty of faith in Evan Carter despite his injuries in the Pirates series he showed two reasons why.

Texas Rangers center fielder Evan Carter runs the bases during his inside-the-park home run. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers have given Evan Carter plenty of rope to prove that he's worthy of everyday Major League playing time.

Through his injuries since 2024 and his inability to consistently hit left-handed pitching, the Rangers have shown plenty of faith that one day he can be a center fielder that doesn't need to be platooned.

Well, in the Rangers’ series win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, in two plays he showed why the Rangers as so intrigued with his talent and his future.

Evan Carter’s Two Great Plays

Texas Rangers slugger Evan Carter. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

On Thursday night Carter drove in the first two runs of the game, and he did it in a way the Rangers have not scored runs in nearly two years — an inside-the-park home run.

Carter drove a Bubba Chandler pitch toward the Rangers bullpen in right-center field and while the ball didn't clear the fence, it hit the wall and got past the two Pirates outfielders in pursuit. As the ball skidded into center field neither could track it down in enough time to relay the ball to home plate. Of course, Carter's blazing speed had something to do with that.

EVAN CARTER INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUN‼️ pic.twitter.com/k6Ktgr982e

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) April 24, 2026

Carter’s speed is a skill the Rangers have valued since they drafted him in 2020. Per Statcast, his sprint speed of 27.8 mph is in the 69th percentile in Major League Baseball. On that inside-the-park home run he made it around the bases in less than 16 seconds.

15.9 SECONDS AROUND THE BASES FOR CARTER! https://t.co/9kzCmpAQGJ pic.twitter.com/l4yRZZQbGO

— Rangers Sports Network (@RangersSNtv) April 24, 2026

“Off the bat I thought for a second and I was like, ‘Oh crap he's gonna catch it,’” Carter said to Rangers Sports Network and reporters after the game. “And then I don't know. I tried to slow down for a double, and then I'm cruising for a triple and then Rags [third base coach Corey Ragsdale] is calling he home and I’m like, ‘Crap, we can keep going.’ Yeah I don’t really know. I pulled up and stopped like three different times.”

Hear from Evan after his inside-the-park homer tonight: pic.twitter.com/2qYYNtmXes

— Rangers Sports Network (@RangersSNtv) April 24, 2026

The last time the Rangers had an inside-the-park home run it was nearly two years to the day. It was Wyatt Langford, then a rookie, who hit an inside-the-park home run as his first MLB home run, which was also Globe Life Field in 2024.

But, earlier in the series, everyone was talking about Carter's fielding ability. In the first game of the series on Tuesday, he went to the left center field wall in front of the Pirates’ bullpen and robbed Oneil Cruz of a three-run home run, a pivotal play in that game.

Larceny! IYKYK pic.twitter.com/TPAoHlnqNH

— Matthew Postins (@PostinsPostcard) April 22, 2026

Here is why that play was important period at the time, Texas led at the time, 2-1. Had that would-be home run cleared the wall it would have given Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead. Instead, the Rangers extended their lead to 5-1 in the bottom half of the frame and won the game. It was a game saving catch by Carter period

Carter is still a work in progress in many ways. But, in the Pirates series, he showed two reasons why the Rangers have continued to preach patience with his development.