Top 5 Offseason Addition Gives Rangers Major Lineup Boost

The Texas Rangers might have had to give up Marcus Semien, but the return has a very high upside for the upcoming season.

Sep 19, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of the Texas Rangers logo during a rain delay in the eighth inning between the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Park in Arlington. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

After missing the playoffs for two years straight following their 2023 World Series victory, the Texas Rangers needed to make a change this offseason. The biggest change the franchise has made for 2026 is trading away second baseman Marcus Semien to the New York Mets.

Semien never reached the same kind of power as he did with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021 with the Rangers, but he did finish third in MVP voting in 2023. But with Semien to New York, Texas brought in veteran outfielder Brandon Nimmo to help boost the offense.

Nimmo brings leadership and consistency to this Rangers lineup, something they've lacked since 2023. If manager Skip Schumaker can pencil in Nimmo for 150 games or more, something he's done every year since 2022, the Rangers offense should be in a good spot.

Nimmo Named Top 5 Offseason Addition

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Nimmo's consistency on the field and at the plate gives him a leg up compared to other offseason additions across the MLB, as MLB.com lists him as the fifth-best offseason addition so far in terms of projected WAR, which he sits at 2.6.

"In his first year with the Rangers after being traded for Semien, he is projected for a .256/.336/.428 slash line. Nimmo’s 2.6 WAR projection is the third highest among Rangers position players, trailing only Corey Seager (3.9) and Wyatt Langford (3.4)," MLB.com wrote.

How Nimmo Impacts Rangers Immediately

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The middle of the Rangers lineup has the potential to be a danger to opponents this season in the form of Seager, Langford, and Nimmo. If Seager stays healthy, Langford lives up to his 2026 breakout projections, and Nimmo continues to do what he's always done, there's a real chance Texas will be back in the playoffs in 2026.

The AL West is no joke, however. With the Houston Astros adding talent this offseason after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and the Seattle Mariners getting one step shy of making their first World Series, the competition seems to be a three-headed race.

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Should the Rangers make their way to the playoffs, Nimmo has that experience under his belt as well. Competing in two playoff appearances with the Mets, Nimmo knows what it takes to get to the playoffs and how to succeed, which is what Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker brought him in for.

Nimmo waved his no-trade clause in his contract to become a Ranger, so if that doesn't say he wants to help this franchise back to the promised land, what else will?

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