The Numbers That Show Rangers’ Defensive Flaws Are Costing Them Games

The Texas Rangers had the best defense in baseball last year. In fact, it set a record.

The Rangers’ fielding percentage last year was .991, tied with the Atlanta Braves. But, take it out one more decimal — to .9911 — and they set a Major League record for best single season fielding percentage, taking over the record from the 2013 Baltimore Orioles (.9110).

The Rangers won the AL Gold Glove as a team, set a franchise record for fewest errors in a season (51), led the Majors in defensive runs saved (89) and second baseman Marcus Semien won a Gold Glove.

The Rangers still have a good defense. But it’s not at last year’s level and it’s costing them games.

Rangers Take Step Back Defensively

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is tagged out trying to steal second base by Texas Rangers Ezequiel Duran. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Friday’s 6-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox magnified the step back the Rangers have taken as a unit. They committed two errors. Kyle Higashioka’s throwing error while trying to throw out Ceddanne Rafaela at second base led him to advance to third and was followed by a Willson Contreras home run in the first inning. Third baseman Josh Jung later had a throwing error to first base.

Infielder Nicky Lopez also had some misadventures with the Green Monster in left field after the Rangers had to slide Wyatt Langford to center field after Evan Carter left the game with an injury.

The mistakes have been easier to see than a season ago and harder to overlook. Statistically, the Rangers' numbers in key metrics have taken a turn since last season, according to the chart below:

Category	2025	2026
Fielding Percentage	.9911 (MLB lead)	.986 (Tied for No. 16 MLB)
Runs Allowed Per Game	3.73 (MLB lead)	3.90 (No. 6 MLB)
Defensive Runs Saved	89 (MLB lead)	19 (No. 9 MLB)
Total Errors	51 (MLB lead)	33 (Tied for No. 15 MLB)
Outs Above Average	25 (No. 6 MLB)	10 (Tied for No. 8 MLB)
Fielding Run Value	21 (No. 5 MLB)	minus-1 (No. 17 MLB)
Defensive Efficiency	.720 (MLB lead)	.715 (No. 6 MLB)

Note: Defensive efficiency is a baseball-reference.com metric that measures percentage of balls put in play converted to outs. OAA and FRV are from Fangraphs and Statcast.

The key metric is the fielding run value. This Statcast metric combines all the team’s defensive statistics to a single run-based scale to determine how much — or how little — the Rangers’ defensive is saving them runs. Right now, it’s running a negative. By that metric, the team is slightly below average defensively. Compared to last year’s number, it’s a chasm.

Is it new personnel? Not necessarily. Right fielder Brandon Nimmo hasn’t been a drag on the defense. He has three defensive runs saved. Last season’s right fielder, Adolis Garcia, was at minus-2 DRS before he suffered a lat injury with the Phillies earlier this week.

Semien, who was the everyday second baseman last year, is at minus-4 DRS with the Mets after he finished at plus-5 last season. Rangers second basemen have a combined minus-11 DRS so far.

It all adds up to a unit that isn’t as sharp as a year ago and is reducing Texas’ margin for errors in games where the starting pitching falters and the offense can’t produce, as it did on Friday night.

Add us as a preferred source on Google