Ezequiel Duran Finally Giving Rangers What They’ve Craved for Years

Back in 2021, when the Texas Rangers traded Joey Gallo to the New York Yankees for four prospects, the most discussed prospect in the deal was not Josh Smith.

It was Ezequiel Duran. He was the player that had the profile that many felt would be the most successful at the Major League level.

Five years later, Duran has arrived in full. He was a vital piece of the Rangers’ three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals, playing a role in each game that leads one to believe that keeping him in the lineup — when Corey Seager and Josh Smith return — is a necessity and not an option.

“The more he plays, the more you fall in love with him. He’s that good of a player,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said on Friday.

The Rise of Ezequiel Duran

"That feels amazing!" - EZ

Ezequiel Durán joins @michmontaine after his first career walk-off hit! pic.twitter.com/stwqgSw5LG
— Rangers Sports Network (@RangersSNtv) May 30, 2026

In each win over Kansas City, he played a vital role. In Friday’s blowout win he went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. He also played an exceptional shortstop, making two difficult plays look relatively easy.

In Saturday’s 7-6 come-from-behind win, Duran hit a walk-off single to claim the victory. But he went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. On Sunday, he drove in two runs with a first-inning triple as part of a 1-for-4 game.

“I feel amazing right now,” Duran said to Rangers Sports Network after the win on Saturday. “I feel blessed. This is my first time [walking off] in the big leagues and it was amazing. We’re fighting every single at-bat, every single pitch and making adjustments.”

Entering June, the right-handed hitter is slashing .288/.341/.460 with four home runs and 31 RBI. He isn’t just taking the spot of an injured player. For the first time in his career, he’s thriving on an extended basis.

“Think about what he’s done, filling in at second, at short, outfield, shortstop,” Schumaker said about the different positions Duran has played this season. “Every position we’ve put him in, either because a guy was struggling or a guy got hurt, he’s given us everything he had that day. Small ball is in his game. Speed is in his game. He’s bunted and we’ve put a hit-and-run on for him.”

Getting regular playing time has been Duran’s biggest problem in the Majors. In 2023 the Rangers asked both him and Smith to become super utility players. While Duran had a great May playing shortstop for an injured Seager that year, Smith took to the job more readily.

In 2024, Smith grabbed the job for himself, winning a Silver Slugger while Duran saw his playing time, batting average and power dip. The same thing happened in 2025 as Smith assumed the utility role full-time. Without regular playing time, he slashed .224/.266/.293 with no home runs and 14 RBI last season.

He wasn’t promised everyday playing time this season. But Schumaker has repeatedly said he’s building a team, not a starting lineup, and that his bench players will play. Even when Duran didn’t start, he got some playing time. In late April, with Smith’s bat struggling, Duran started getting more time at second base, the position Smith rightly won in spring training.

In Detroit, Duran showed his versatility. In the series opener Brandon Nimmo left with a hamstring issue and Duran moved from second base to right field and made a diving catch at a position he rarely played.

When Smith suffered a glute injury in Detroit, he moved to second base. When Seager went on the injured list in mid-May he moved to shortstop. No matter where he’s played, his bat has responded.

He isn't just giving the Rangers consistent offensive production. He's giving them clutch moments, like the walk off on Saturday. He's now fulfilling the potential that he showed several years ago as a minor leaguer in the Yankees’ system.

At some point, Seager and Smith will return to the lineup. The question is what will the Rangers do with Duran when they do? One thing is clear. The Rangers cannot bench Duran. He is too important to keep on the bench.

The good news is that he's finally proven, as Smith did a few years ago, that he can play everywhere every day and give the Rangers something in return.

“The more he plays, the more you fall in love with him,”Schumaker said. “He’s that good of a player, he’s infectious in the clubhouse, everyone loves him. We know the energy he brings. The more he plays a position, the better he gets. Today [Friday] his shortstop was as good as you’re going to see. It’s really fun to watch.”

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