Who is the ‘GOAT’ in Texas Rangers franchise history?

When it comes to sports, we always talk about and debate the “GOAT”, or Greatest of All Time. We can probably all agree that Tom Brady is the GOAT of American football and Michael Jordan of the NBA (or agree to disagree!), but what about in Texas Rangers history?

There are multiple candidates for this distinction, but at the end of the day, all of these legendary Rangers are well-deserving of the recognition they’ve received in their careers and all merit inclusion on a list of potential GOATs.

So let’s try to answer the question: who is the GOAT in Texas Rangers franchise history? Here are our candidates.

Who is the GOAT in Texas Rangers franchise history?

Adrian Beltre

Don’t touch his head!

Arguably the greatest infielder in club history, Adrian Beltre is on a fast track to the Hall of Fame. With his 3,000+ hits and sterling defensive reputation, as well as being a great man, Beltre had an amazing big league career.

Beltre was brought to Texas in 2011 to help reinforce the winning culture established after a World Series appearance in 2010. And he delivered in every way.

Between 2011 and his retirement in 2018, Beltre won three Gold Gloves, amassed an .865 OPS and 1,277 of his 3,166 career hits, in addition to an AL Pennant in his first year in Arlington. Oh, and his son seems pretty good, too.

The Rangers probably wouldn’t have been what they were had had it not been for Beltre’s steadying presence and his consistency. He was the player that brought it all together for Texas, even though the team had been to a World Series without him in 2010. He was icing on the cake, and in a great way.

Beltre’s No. 29 is one of just six retired numbers by the Rangers, which further attests to his greatness, and he was also inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2021.

Nolan Ryan

The Ryan Express made his final stop in Arlington with the Texas Rangers between 1989-1993.

Though Nolan Ryan’s stint with the team was short, his impact was large, as the Hall of Fame right-hander tossed two no-hitters with the Rangers and led the league in strikeouts in 1989 and 1990, while making the All-Star team in that 1989 season.

In total, Ryan’s five years in Texas led to a 3.43 ERA and 2.91 FIP, good for a solidly above average 116 ERA+ and a hefty 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

The impact wouldn’t be limited to the diamond, however, as he would be an instrumental member of the Rangers’ front office during their two World Series runs in 2010 and 2011.

Ryan, like Beltre, also has his number (34) up in the rafters of Globe Life Field, and was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame, as well as the National Baseball Hall of Fame for his career excellence.

There was never a shortage of memorable moments for Ryan in Arlington, from those aforementioned World Series appearances to the bloody nose game, to the fight with Robin Ventura, and those two no-nos. Nolan is a Texan through and through and was one of the greatest players in baseball history, let alone just Texas Rangers history.

Ivan Rodriguez

The man known as “Pudge” had a long and successful MLB career as one of the greatest catchers ever, but Ivan Rodriguez’ tenure with the Texas Rangers was what helped set him apart.

Spending 13 years in Arlington, Pudge put up prolific numbers with the bat (.828 OPS and a .304 batting average) but also behind the plate, with 10 consecutive Gold Gloves between 1991 and 2001. 10 consecutive! That’s elite level consistency.

He also made the All-Star team all 10 of those years, and why not add six Silver Sluggers to that mix as well? Oh, AND he won MVP in 1999.

Pudge would never come close to replicating his Rangers longevity and success anywhere else and his incredible run in Texas also earned him a number in the rafters (No. 7) and induction into both the team and National Baseball Hall of Fames.

Few catchers in MLB history did what Pudge did, and he helped lead the Rangers to their first ever playoff appearances in 1996, 1998 and 1999. His impact in Texas was clearly felt, and he’s got as strong a case as the others on this list to be the franchise’s “GOAT.”