3 Rangers Hitters Facing Major Pressure to Perform in 2026 Season

The offense has to improve if the Texas Rangers want to return to the playoffs.

First baseman Jake Burger and his teammates celebrate. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2026 season under a new coaching regime, the message is clear for the Texas Rangers: The offense has to be much better for this team to reach its goals. There were too many instances where the Rangers failed to generate runs in crucial moments.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

This offseason, president of baseball operations Chris Young has made extensive efforts to retool the lineup. Texas cut ties with Adolis Garcia, Jonah Heim, and traded Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in exchange for Brandon Nimmo.

Nimmo is an instant upgrade offensively. He'll bring power and a high on-base percentage at the top of the lineup. Pairing him with Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford make for a formidable trio, but there are still some hitters under a lot of pressure to deliver next season.

Evan Carter

Rangers outfielder Evan Carter swings the bat. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

When it comes to evaluating Evan Carter, staying healthy is his number one priority. Since bursting onto the scene in 2023, the young outfielder has only played in 108 games over the last two years.

Carter started the 2025 season in Triple-A before being recalled on May 6th. 12 days later, he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right quad strain. He had three different stints on the injured list last year.

However, when Carter was healthy, he was productive for Texas, slashing .247/.336/.392 with 48 total hits. The Rangers look like a different team when the 23-year-old is on the field. His high-contact, low strikeout approach is exactly what this offense needs. He'll be under more pressure to stay on the field than his actual hitting abilities, but the ceiling for this team is much higher when it has Carter in the lineup.

Josh Jung

Rangers third baseman Josh Jung swings a bat. | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Josh Jung is in a similar position to his teammate Carter. Another young phenom who had a tremendous 2023 season, earning an All-Star nod, Jung has slowly declined since, as he's battled injuries. However, Jung was much healthier last season, playing in 131 games, but he still was not producing enough.

Skip Schumaker has talked at length about how he wants Jung to be "feared" in the box again. There is no doubt that he can be one of the best hitters on the team, but his approach has to change. Jung finished third on the team in strikeouts with 129.

He struggled laying off the high fastball, and it's something he'll need to fix. The Rangers need more run producers, and Jung has to be one of the leaders in that department. That high-caliber offensive player is still in there and hopefully Jung can unlock it once again in 2026.

Joc Pederson

Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson runs the bases. | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

There is no one under more pressure to deliver offensively than Joc Pederson. Texas brought him in last offseason for one reason: Hit the ball. What followed was a 0 for 41 hitless streak in April. It was a disastrous start to the year for Pederson.

After a long stint on the injured list, Pederson began to find his groove in August. He hit .286 with six home runs and looked to finally become the offensive player he was supposed to be. He wasn't quite able to carry that momentum over into September.

Pederson doesn't play in the field, so his primary way to contribute is on the offensive end. He has to be much better for Texas to have success next season.

---