The case for Cody Freeman at second base
Freeman already has more big league starts at 2B than Josh Smith or Ezequiel Duran
On 08/21 in Kansas City, Marcus Semien went down with a season ending foot injury vs the Royals. Everything seemed lost for the season at that point. Texas would lose 3 of 4 to the Royals and fall to 63-66.
Without Marcus Semien the Rangers then went on a 16-5 run. The Rangers, playing with youth and a mix of misfit veterans got hot. Suddenly, the Texas Rangers were fun and energized for the first time all season.
Often times, the team follows the emotions of its leaders. Setting the example is what leaders are supposed to do. Marcus Semien was at least the unofficial captain of the Rangers. He rarely showed any emotion during his time here. On most days, neither did the Rangers.
I'm not suggesting Marcus Semien was a bad leader, but he was not the energetic leader that this organization needed going into the future. I think the Rangers saw that, along with his declining bat and made the trade for Brandon Nimmo.
So now what do the Rangers do at second base? Good Question. I could be wrong, you never know with Chris Young, but I don't think the Rangers are going to sign an everyday second basemen in free agency. I'm not expecting any big trade either.
The easy answer is Josh Smith. He has only played parts of ten games at 2B due to Marcus Semien rarely missing work. However, Corey Seager and Josh Jung are not dependable to be in the lineup daily. Josh Smith has more than filled in for them when they are out of the lineup. He has been the only thing consistent on that side of the infield.
There are concerns about Smith's offensive dips at the end of the season, but the guy has proven that he can play anywhere. I have no doubts that the guy can play 2B. I also have no doubt that he will be needed to play extended periods at 3B and SS.
Ezequiel Duran has played parts of 40 games at 2B. Duran has a great arm that can make big plays from all parts of the field. There are times you can see how talented Duran is, but his bat is inconsistent. He has had multiple chances but has failed to live up to the numbers he put up in the first half of the 2023 season. Duran did have 177 starts at 2b in the minors, but at this point it's hard for me to see him as anything other than a role player.
Then there is Cody Freeman. Freeman has been under the radar for a lot of his minor league career. Freeman is a rarity in the Rangers farm system for a position player. A player who has actually gotten better at the plate as he has progressed in the minors. Freeman throughout his minor league career has played all over the field.
After the 2023 season, he dropped playing catcher. He started trending upward in 2024 when he hit for a .264 AVG, .320 OBP, 14 HRS and 33 doubles.
Freeman destroyed AAA in 2025. In 91 games, he hit for a .336 Avg, .382 OBP, .932 OPS, 19 HRS and 25 doubles.
Prior to being called up, Freeman had only played 51 games at 2B in the minors. He has already played in 24 games at 2B the big-league level, starting 20 of them. During that 16-5 run that the Rangers went on after Semien was injured, Freeman played 14 games at 2B. The Rangers were 11-3 in those games.
The Prospect Times
Sometimes a team is out of the running for the playoffs when a player is called up late in the season. That was not the case with Freeman who helped provide a jolt of energy to the team as the Rangers made a late playoff push before they eventually ran out of steam. Even though the playoff push failed, the experience was valuable. Freeman played in 36 games, most of them mattered. By comparison, Evan Carter only got in 40 games in 2023, counting the playoffs.
In 76 combined MLB and MILB games at 2B, Cody Freeman has 6 errors. Keep in mind he has never played the position full time, but there is no established veteran blocking his path to play daily.
He was the 2025 Texas Rangers Tom Grieve award winner. He has the chance to be a really good major league player and a big win for Texas Rangers player development.
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