Rangers Boss Says 'Very Good Chance' Brandon Nimmo Leads Off Opening Day

Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker is set to make Brandon Nimmo his leadoff man on opening day.

Brandon Nimmo will play an important part on the Rangers this season. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers enter 2026 with high expectations. Their offseason was extremely busy, and the Rangers look poised to compete in the American League West division this year. One of the biggest moves made in the offseason was trading for Brandon Nimmo.

Trading Marcus Semien for Nimmo leaves a hole in the infield. But Nimmo is a player who can impact a lineup in a big way. Newly appointed manager, Skip Schumaker, fully understands how his new right fielder can influence the game.

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In fact, Schumaker has already made up his mind on where Nimmo will play in the field and where he will bat in the lineup.

During his pre-workout scrum with media in Surprise, Ariz., Schumaker told reporters, including Matthew Postins of Inside the Rangers, that Nimmo is the likely leadoff hitter on opening day and play right field.

Skip Schumacher
On Brandon Nimmo: “I have a pretty good idea that our right fielder is probably going to lead off.” He sounded like it would take something significant to move him off of that.

— Matthew Postins (@PostinsPostcard) February 15, 2026

Brandon Nimmo's Impact

Brandon Nimmo will play right field and bat leadoff for the Rangers. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Nimmo is the exact type of player you want batting at the top of the order. The 32-year-old slashed .262/.324/.436 with 25 home runs, 92 RBI and 154 total hits in 155 games during the 2025 season. As a leadoff hitter for the New York Mets last year, he slashed .245/.318/.388 with three home runs and 16 RBI.

He was at his best when hitting in the two-hole, but he spent the most time batting fourth and fifth last year. But Nimmo is a hitter who deserves to bat at the top of the lineup, and he will continue to do so at Globe Life Field.

Health is also a huge factor with Nimmo. He has been a very reliable player over the last four years. Since 2022, the former first-round pick has played in at least 151 games every year. That is the kind of consistency the Rangers are looking for, especially from a star player like Nimmo.

"He's been pretty good there for a long time," Schumaker said, who likes the idea of Nimmo being able to hit capably against both left-handers and right-handers. "He kind of changes the dynamic of the game with slug plus on-base. So there's a pretty good chance you'll see him at the top."

Why Nimmo is in the Leadoff Spot

Brandon Nimmo batted .262 last season. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Putting Nimmo in the leadoff spot will force pitchers to throw to him. Wyatt Langford and Corey Seager will most likely be right behind him in the order, and both of those players can do some real damage.

Langford slashed .241/.344/.431 with 22 home runs, 62 RBI and 73 runs scored across 134 games. Seager hit .271/.373/.487 with 21 home runs and 50 RBI over just 102 games played. Both these stars protect Nimmo in the leadoff spot.

Opposing teams will have to pitch to Nimmo this year. Putting him on base in front of Langford, Seager, or some of the other players in the lineup is not a good idea. With that in mind, Nimmo should get plenty of good pitches to hit when batting leadoff.

Now, nothing is set in stone. Things are fluid in spring training and can change instantly. But, as it stands right now, Nimmo will be playing right field and batting leadoff for the Rangers in 2026.

Inside the Rangers reporter Matthew Postins contributed to this article from Surprise, Ariz.