Three Rangers Sluggers That Must Bounce Back to Fuel Return to Playoffs

The Texas Rangers have invited several prospects to spring training, but three stand out as possible roster adds sometime in 2026.

The Texas Rangers logo painted on the turf behind home plate at Globe Life Field. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers had one of the weakest offenses in baseball last season, and the numbers have been in decline since winning the 2023 World Series.

That led Texas to make some changes in the offseason, most notably trading second baseman Marcus Semien to the New York Mets for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. The idea was to add more on-base percentage and a younger hitter.

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But Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young has been clear this offseason that much of the offensive improvement will have to come from within. That means players that struggled a year ago must improve at the plate.

With spring training approaching here are three Rangers that must improve at the plate.  

Josh Jung

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

No current player has drawn more focus from team leadership for a bounce-back than the former first-round pick, who slashed .251/.294/.390 with a .684 OPS last season. He also had 14 home runs and 61 RBI. While he remained relatively healthy, he was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock for a reset after he began showing too much swing-and-miss at the plate. His numbers did bounce back after he returned:

Before July 2: .237/.283/.366 with a .648 OPS

After July 21: .271/.308/.424 with a .732 OPS

Texas wants him to work more on his approach and further cut down on the swing-and-miss. Last season he had a 25.4% whiff rate, a 25.2% strikeout rate and a 33.2% chase rate, all of which were well below expectations. He also drew a walk just 5.3% of the time. He must turn those numbers around in 2026 or it risks Young and Texas making a move next offseason.

Jake Burger

Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger. | Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

Burger slashed .236/.269/.419 with a .687 OPS, including 16 home runs and 53 RBI. But he only played 97 games as he went on the injured list three different times. The wrist sprain he suffered in August never healed 100% and he underwent surgery this offseason. He should be good to go for spring training.

The Rangers have three years of team control when it comes to Burger, but he’s well below the pop he showed in 2023 when he hit 34 home runs with the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins. Like Jung, Burger struggled with his chase rate, whiff rate and strikeout rate last season. Notably, his chase rate was 39.9%, which was in the fourth percentile in baseball. He must turn that around in 2026.  

Evan Carter

Texas Rangers center fielder Evan Carter. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Carter has the potential to be a special player, but for the left-handed center fielder it’s all about staying healthy. He went on the injured list with a quad strain, back spasms and a wrist fracture, the last of which ended his season. In 63 games he slashed .247/.336/.392 with a .728 OPS, including five home runs and 25 RBI.

The Rangers really want this to work. Carter is only 23 years old, and he showed a rare blend of power and speed in the minor leagues that translates to being a starting center fielder in the Majors. The good news is that the back injury that derailed his 2024 really wasn’t the issue, aside from the spasms that kept him out for 10 days. The wrist fracture was unfortunate. He must find a way to avoid the injuries and re-establish the bat that flashed prominently in 2023.