Texas Rangers Batting Order Experiments Hint at Long-Term Plan

The Texas Rangers have already communicated some of what they’re hoping to do with their batting order come opening day.

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

If things fall into place for the Texas Rangers come opening day against the Philadelphia Phillies there will be only a couple of significant lineup changes.

Brandon Nimmo, who was acquired in a trade for Marcus Semien, should be in right field for Adolis Garcia. Josh Smith is the leading candidate to take over for Semien at second base but was in the lineup last opening day at shortstop. Evan Carter was in the minor leagues last season and should take center field for Kevin Pillar.

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Joc Pederson didn’t DH that day but pinch-hit due to the matchups. Kyle Higashioka was the opening day catcher but was a tandem with Jonah Heim.

For all the discussion of remaking the Texas offense, the lineup is similar to a year ago. The Rangers have focused on better equipping hitters to do multiple things at the plate. So how does that change the lineup new Rangers manager Skip Schumacher will put on the field on opening day? We've gotten a few hints during spring training.

Rangers Lineup Adjustments

Texas Rangers left fielder Brandon Nimmo. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Schumaker has already given us some glimpses of what the batting order might look like at the top. He seems eager to give Nimmo a shot at the leadoff spot, a place he’s hit at before with the New York Mets. He also seems intent to hit Wyatt Langford, Seager and Jake Burger behind him.

Langford and Seager switched between the second and third spots in the order last year, so that’s not a big surprise. Burger was not the clean-up hitter consistently last season. That usually fell to Garcia who struggled. With the emphasis on getting on base this season, it makes sense to put a table-setter with power like Nimmo ahead of three players with 30-home run potential.

But, if Schumaker sticks with that order it would create an intriguing left-right-left-right start to the order. The new manager has talked about creating lineups that give opponents tough matchups. An alignment that switches between left-handed and right-handed hitters would do that.

What happens after that is less clear. But based on a projected remaining lineup of Pederson, Smith, Carter, Higashioka and third baseman Josh Jung he could keep alternating throughout the order. Pederson, Smiith and Carter are left-handers. Schumaker has even stacked left-handers at the top of the order early in camp to create favorable matchups against right-handed pitching.

With minor offseason tweaks the Rangers have gone from being a lineup that tilts to right-handed hitting to a lineup that is in almost perfect balance. If that is the starting nine that Texas has an opening day, it gives Schumaker plenty of options to work with as he builds his lineup. That optionality, that versatility, is something the Rangers have emphasized all offseason, and it shows and how they could build their lineup for opening day.