The Texas Rangers’ Potential 2025 Lineup

In this article I am going to break down what I think that the Texas Rangers’ lineup is going to look like.

1. 2B Marcus Semien

There doesn’t need to be much of an explanation for why Semien should be leading off. He did have a bit of a down year as he slashed .237/.308/.391. He hit 23 home runs with 74 rbis posting a 4.1 WAR. He was still one of the bright spots for the team last year, he does a good job at getting on base and can take pitchers deep into the count. Alternatively, he can also jump on the first pitch if the pitcher makes a mistake. During the Rangers’ World Series run, his slash line was .276/.348/.478 with 29 home runs and 100 rbis with a 7.4 WAR. Hopefully he can find his 2023 form.

2. SS Corey Seager

There needs to be even less of an explanation for Seager to be hitting second than for Semien to lead off. Seager is the Rangers’ best hitter and he can do all sorts of damage. He can drive in Semien or even drive himself in, he could set the table for the guys behind him. Seager is just a weapon all around. He slashed .278/.353/.512. He clobbered 30 home runs with 74 rbis and a 5 WAR. He did all of this in just 123 games. That was more than he played in 2023, so the Rangers are hoping that is a sign that as the years go on that means he will be healthier.

3. CF Wyatt Langford

Some people will be surprised to see Langford in the 3 hole after the rookie year that he had. He didn’t live up to some of the lofty expectations that fans had for him, but he still had a pretty good year. He have a slow start, but he almost ended up going 20/20. He hit 16 homers and had 19 stolen bases. His slash line was .253/.325/.415. Langford caught fire in September as he finished as the American League Player of the Month, he hit .300 during the month with 8 home runs. He seems to have figured out the major leagues as the year went, so the Rangers are hoping that he can hit the ground running.

4. RF Adolis Garcia

Garcia was the most disappointing ranger this year, he went from ALCS MVP and postseason hero to having his worst year as a ranger as a starter. He only hit .224 /.284/.400. He hit 25 home runs with 85 rbis, all of these were decreases from the previous year. With more protection in the lineup, the Rangers are hoping that Garcia can get back to his old form.

5. DH Joc Pederson

Joc is new to the Rangers and is a great addition. He is a left handed bat that the team needed. He could have batted cleanup, but I wanted to break up the run of righties that come after him. Pederson’s slash line was .275/.393/.515 with 23 home runs and 64 rbis. He is a great consistent hitter and will take the left handed role from the now departed Nathaniel Lowe. His 2.9 WAR this past year surpassed Lowe’s 2.7 and proves to be a better hitter. He sound inject some life into this lineup and the Rangers should be excited to add this thumper to the lineup.

6. 3B Josh Jung

Josh Jung’s 2024 was derailed by injuries. He had a calf strain during spring training. He started out hot, but in the fourth game of the season he got hit by a pitch and fractured his wrist. This injury made him miss 103 games, he only played 43 games. He hit 7 home runs in those games with 16 rbis. With full season projections Jung would have had homers in the mid 20s or low 30s. His rbis would have been in the 50s or 60s. Hopefully Jung can stay healthy this year as injuries have plagued during his pro career. Jung can be a part of the Rangers’ foundation as he provides gold glove defense too.

7. 1B Jake Burger

Burger came over in a trade from the Miami Marlins. He is going to be playing first base and he is a masher. His slash line was .250/.301/.460. He swatted 29 home runs with 76 rbis. He doesn’t offer much value defensively, but he is a very consistent hitter. He has .250 in two other seasons. Burger will give the bottom of the lineup some juice and it help create run production at the bottom of the lineup.

8. C Jonah Heim

Jonah Heim was another player that he had a tough 2024 season. His slash line was .220/.267/.336. All of these were major decreases from 2023 when he slashed .258/.317/.438. Heim hit 13 home runs with 59 rbis. The home runs were not that problem as it was a 5 homer decrease. That was one of the only things that he did well during the year. He just looked lost at the plate. So hopefully with this better lineup, the old Jonah Heim can reappear.

9. LF Evan Carter

Evan Carter makes up the last spot in the lineup. He had a rough 2024 like many of the returning Rangers, he played 45 games while he dealt with injuries. He had a nagging back issue that affected him through most of the year, he should be healthy before the start of the 2025 season. Carter posted a .188 average in 2024, which was over a .100 point drop. He hit .306 average in 2023. He posted a 1.6 WAR in 23 games in 2023 and only had .6 WAR in the 45 games in 2024. He just didn’t look like the same player that he was in 2023. It seemed like the back injury had been affecting him during the whole 2024 season. Hopefully he can be healthy in the 2025 season and he can work as a lead off hitter for the top of the lineup.

Bench

Josh Smith

Josh Smith is coming off of the best season of his career. He won the silver slugger for the American League Utility Player. He was the biggest positive surprise for the Rangers. He hit .258/.337/.394. He posted a 3.2 WAR with 13 home runs and 62 rbis all of these stats were more than his other two years combined. Some Rangers fans would say that Smith deserves to start, but the lineup is filled with a lot of good hitters. It is a good problem for the team to have. If Smith hits like he did last year he will be in lineup 4-5 games a week.

Leody Taveras

Taveras is the source of a lot of criticism from Rangers fans. He isn’t as bad as fans would like to believe. He is the perfect 4th outfielder for the Rangers, he can sub in defensively and has a solid bat. His slash line of .229/.289/.352 is not super impressive. He did hit 12 home runs, which is pretty good. Taveras will split time with Carter, Bochy will play the hot hand between the two. He will also set in if an outfielder needs a day off or is going through a rough stretch. Carter will be starting over him because he has higher upside and has shown what he can do.

Ezequiel Duran

Ezequiel Duran suffered the biggest falloff of any Ranger. His slash line was .246/.288/.321. He only hit 3 home runs compared to 14 home runs the year before. He stepped up big for the Rangers in 2023 when Corey Seager went down. He went down to Triple A as he struggled, the Rangers could have used him to step up while some of the others struggled too. They are hoping that he can return to his 2023 form and be an important tool off the bench.

Kyle Higashioka

Kyle Higashioka’s slash line doesn’t like too impressive. It was .220/.263/.476. However, he does have some pop in his bat as it hit 17 home runs. He and Heim will split duties as they go forward. Bochy will like switch it up between the hotter catcher and which one that pitcher prefers. He will be a good asset for the Rangers to add to the catching group.

Jonathan Ornelas

Ornelas is the on the bench to be a plus fielder. He played shortstop, second base, third base, and the outfield spots last year. He isn’t a great hitter as it just had a .216/.256/.270 with no home runs. He should come into the game as a late game defense sub. He is an asset that Bochy can use late in the game.