What Kind of Team the Texas Rangers Are Trying to Be in 2026

The Texas Rangers are done with missing the playoffs, to hear president of baseball operations Chris Young tell it.

To accomplish that, Young has bought into doing things differently this season. With a new manager in Skip Schumaker and a remade coaching staff, the Rangers are intent on using those new guideposts to make a run at the playoffs and, Texas hopes, the American League West title.

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The status quo wasn’t acceptable to Young. Here are three ways the Rangers are trying to be a different team in 2026.

On-Base Percentage

Texas Rangers left fielder Brandon Nimmo swings his bat through a pitch. — Texas Rangers left fielder Brandon Nimmo. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

After chasing slug with free-agent signings the past two years, Young and the organization is emphasizing on-base percentage more this season. He’s talked about having a lineup of hitters that can do multiple things. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker wants a lineup of tough outs. Those are all connected. A lineup of tough outs and versatile hitters know when to take walks and when to avoid chasing pitches.

The drop in on-base percentage is clear the past three seasons. In the World Series championship season of 2023, the Rangers had a .337 on-base percentage. In 2024 it dropped to .305. In 2025 it dropped slightly to .302. The on-base percentage was the fifth worst in baseball. The league median was .315.

Along with that, chase rates went up and walk rates dropped. That’s why Texas non-tendered outfielder Adolis Garcia and catcher Jonah Heim. It’s why Texas traded Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo and signed catcher Danny Jansen. They’re trading slug for on-base and hoping that, along with a lineup of hitters willing to do more things, boosts a flagging offense.

Throw Strikes

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kumar Rocker throws a baseball. — Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kumar Rocker. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Schumaker has said it plenty during spring training — “I like guys that can throw strikes.” Well, so does everyone in baseball. But the implementation of the ABS system in the Majors this season makes it even more of a need. While teams are still figuring out their strategy when it comes to challenging balls and strikes, the generous strike zone of a generation ago is gone. Teams must challenge hitters and create swing and miss in the zone.

It’s one reason why Texas has asked Kumar Rocker to develop a change-up that can induce swing and miss. He’ll need it in the ABS world.

Last year the Rangers had a staff that challenge hitters and succeeded. Their 3.49 staff ERA was one of the best in baseball. As a pitching staff the Rangers allowed 463 walks last season. That was the sixth best total in the Majors last season.

The goal? Run it back.

“I like strikes a lot,” Schumaker said. “I like swing and miss. I like in-zone [action]. What do they do with your in-zone stuff? Is there damage or do you pitch ahead? Do you stay ahead? Can you throw that pitch anytime, any count, anywhere, like that?”

Create Traffic On the Bases

Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford rounds the bases. — Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Schumaker as a player was in the National League and before the universal DH was implemented. He still has that mentality of an NL player, one that still sees the double switch as a viable thing. He also played for the St. Louis Cardinals, an organization that has historically prided itself on stealing bases.

He inherits a team that has several players that can steal bases — perhaps not in that St. Louis image. But last season Texas stole Texas stole 134 bases, above the league average of 115 and in the Top 10 in baseball.

Both Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter have the potential to steal 30 bases in a season. Three other players return that stole 10 or more bases in 2025. Schumaker’s hire of Travis Jankowski as first base coach was strategic. He, along with third base coach Corey Ragsdale, are installing a culture where not only could more bases be stolen but players can use their speed to be more aggressive station to station on the basepaths.

“It's not just the stolen bases, but it's the first and thirds, the second to homes, all of that stuff,” Schumaker said. “You know, part of being a really good teammate is how hard you run the bases. And I think that's been the identity of the Texas Rangers for the last couple years.”