What does the 2022 Texas Rangers Opening Day Roster look like right now?

The off-season is currently stuck in the slowest of doldrums imaginable. All any of us want is new baseball content, and I can’t supply anything eye-opening, but I can toss my two cents in about who I think will be on the 26-man Texas Rangers roster on Opening Day.

There exists still a multitude of moves that can be made between now and whenever Opening Day ends up actually taking place, but let’s have some fun and take a look at the likely (and some unlikely, but possible) candidates to take the field for our Rangers in 2022.

For this piece, I have the roster as it currently stands, with certainties and one dark horse per position. The certainties are players that are currently Texas Rangers and will be in 2022, barring a trade that involves them. Obviously, no player is a 100% certainty, but if the Rangers were to make zero transactions with other clubs and players before opening day, these are our guys. The dark horses will be one player per position who I think will either rise up through the farm system or be acquired via trade or free agency. Any who, let’s get into it!

The 2022 Texas Rangers roster as of now: Starting and Relief Pitchers

Certainties (Starting 5): Jon Gray, Taylor Hearn, Dane Dunning, A.J. Alexy, Glenn Otto

One of the frustrating aspects of the Rangers’ starting pitching in 2021 was having to watch veteran guys like Jordan Lyles and Mike Foltynewicz give up a lot of runs very frequently. The team has clearly shifted their investment in arm talent into younger guys. The Rangers have financed $561 million and counting in free agents this offseason, and only about a tenth of it was spent on Jon Gray.

The amount of “What if?”‘s throughout the pitching depth is promising. A.J. Alexy, Kolby Allard, Demarcus Evans, Glenn Otto, Dennis Santana, and Spencer Howard are all 25 or younger, and Jon Gray and Spencer Patton are the only two pitchers on the roster currently over age 30.

Rangers pitching stunk in 2021. No sugarcoating it. They put out a 4.79 team ERA, surrendered 232 home runs, and opponents hit .256 against them. But there were bright spots. A.J. Alexy, 23, struck out 11 batters and allowed zero runs through his first eleven innings in the big leagues. Glenn Otto, 25, had some serious consistency issues, but showed promise in his better starts. Taylor Hearn, 27, was dominant against left-handed hitting, but dealt with below-average strikeout rates and some location problems.

In terms of 2022 arm talent, it’s a real shot in the dark. Texas has a lot of young big league talent. Cole Winn is expected to make an anticipated debut in 2022, and he brings a lot of confidence and command on the mound. Jack Leiter, Ricky Venasco, and Owen White – among others – are all in the pipeline as well. There are options abound for the Rangers to find their arms of the future. They may already have a couple. It will be a process, but I believe 2022 will bring us some very positive results from some of these pitchers.

Dark Horse: Clayton Kershaw

You bet. Kershaw is rehabbing from an elbow injury, he turns 34 in March, and he’s notably from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Even at 80, 70, or even 50 percent of the pitcher he was four or five years ago, Kershaw is still a valuable asset wherever he goes. All of the upsides he could bring to Texas have been well documented, but Leiter’s debut does not need to be rushed, there are already a handful of young arms with potential for the future, and the Rangers can easily afford low-risk, high-reward pitching veterans before the playoff competition fully arrives. Kershaw will be fairly pricey, but nothing out of this universe, and he fits the Rangers as they stand like a glove.

The 2022 Texas Rangers roster as of now: Closing Pitchers

Certainties: Joe Barlow

Barlow quickly became the Rangers’ shutdown closer in June after a handful of roster shufflings, and for the most part, was more than dependable. He’s got excellent spin rate and velocity, and he strikes out batters at a high rate (8.4 SO9) for a reliever. The risk with Joe is that he, like many others, was a victim of the 2020 Minor League season being canceled. He managed to bounce back from it, surge through the minors, and produce a dependable 1.55 ERA out of the pen in the pros in 2021, but he hasn’t been able to really sink his feet in yet. If Barlow can continue to perform as advertised, and maybe even get better considering he’s only 26, he could be a very reliable closing option well into the team’s championship contention window.

Dark Horse: Jose Leclerc

The closing job is Barlow’s to lose at this point, but I think the return of Leclerc in 2022, health willing, is something a lot of Rangers fans have lost sight of over the last few months. His earliest return to regular pitching will probably be June or July sometime, and depending on the state of the bullpen, he might be sent to the minors to rehab and stay there for the remainder of the season to get back into the swing of things (pun intended). Here’s the thing: Leclerc has pitched exactly two innings since the end of the 2019 season. If he returns at all, it probably won’t be with the same velocity and force he had a few years ago. He’s freshly 28, which is promising for a possible return, but we still haven’t been given a proper update on his future, so only time will tell.

The 2022 Texas Rangers roster as of now: First basemen

Certainties: Nathaniel Lowe

Just like at catcher, first base is a position where Texas badly needs some consistency. Seven different players have rounded out the infield on Opening Day since 2014, and the Rangers haven’t been able to find their guy since Prince Fielder’s career-ending neck surgery. Thankfully, newly-acquired Nathaniel Lowe was a bright spot among a very bleak 102-loss season in 2021. Lowe finished his first full year at the position with a slash line of .257/.344/.418 at the plate and just shy of 1,300 defensive innings.

Lowe’s biggest flaw as a player is that his swing sorely lacks power. He was one of the better OBP hitters on the team in ’21, but as a regular starting first baseman on a championship contender, a guy has to be responsible for a huge share of power hitting, and Lowe still has a ways to go in that department. His first full season showed promise – he put up a solid .339 BABIP, he could hit against the shift, and he was a 2.4 oWAR hitter – but his fly ball and home run percentages were lower than the league average, and the Rangers just need more. Is Lowe capable of it? Probably. He’s 26 and is no longer going to be one of the critical offensive elements of a basement dweller. Time will tell, but better development and improvement could turn Lowe into one of the better first basemen in the American League down the road.

Dark Horse: Matt Olson

Let me be clear, I don’t personally think that Matt Olson is anywhere close to becoming a Texas Ranger. I am a Nathaniel Lowe believer, and I believe Chris Young is too. The Athletics might be in selling mode, but an Olson trade likely centers around an Isiah Kiner-Falefa trade, a handful of prospects, and a variety of other valuable assets. Oakland would also probably not want to send their star first baseman to a divisional rival.

All of that being said, Oakland is in sell-now mode and Olson would provide the Rangers with the power-hitting they desperately need from their first baseman. An Olson acquisition, were it to not include Lowe, could move Lowe to the DH spot and allow Olson, a 2x Gold Glove winner and one of the best defensive first basemen in the league, to handle the responsibilities with the glove. Having an infield with Olson, Semien, Seager, and Jung is a baseballer’s pipe dream, however, so one can hope.

The 2022 Texas Rangers roster as of now: Second Basemen

Certainties: Marcus Semien, Andy Ibanez

Corey Seager and Marcus Semien are Texas Rangers. No, like, they’re actually signed and on the team. The next time the Texas Rangers take the field at Globe Life Field, Corey Seager and Marcus Semien will be wearing Ranger blue. Or red. Or white, or whatever. Point is, they’re real, and they’re spectacular.

Semien in particular was extravagantly spectacular in 2021. He put up an OPS+ of 133 and hit 45 home runs. He’s turned into an MVP caliber player, and his ability to get on base (along with his infield partner in Seager’s) makes the Rangers a drastically bigger threat at the plate. No need to get too gushy here. Semien is in the prime of his career and is a widely respected player across the league. He will be very good and very fun as a Texas Ranger.

Corey Seager and Marcus Semien are Texas Rangers. Woo!

Dark Horse: Justin Foscue

Let’s be clear: if a 22-year-old Foscue is starting games at second base for the Rangers in 2022, something has gone catastrophically wrong. Consider this entry a dark horse for down the road. The Rangers hope, and expect, that Seager and Semien are starting 140 plus games a year inside the infield over the next six to seven seasons. Foscue is a high-contact hitter with good plate discipline and is a decent fielder, so if this team is plagued by injuries or other chaos that requires a helping hand at second base, he could be the guy! Seager has had issues throughout his career staying healthy, which we’re obviously hoping will subside in Texas, so if it at any point is an issue, perhaps Semien could move to SS and Foscue to second. Who knows. Let’s hope we don’t get to that decision.

The 2022 Texas Rangers roster as of now: Third Basemen

Certainties: Josh Jung, Isiah Kiner-Falefa

This is the part of the post where I fanboy over Josh Jung. I am an eternal optimist. I’ve been attending Rangers games since 2002 and I’ve been put through just about every imaginable invention of torture supporting them since. Yet, unwavering is my hope for this team, and by virtue, Josh Jung. He is the poster child of this organization’s prospect tank, and a lot of people are thirsty for a glass of whatever offensive firepower he can bring to this team in 2022.

Jung absolutely decimated minor league pitchers in 2021, and his floor as a player is far more promising than the ceiling of other Rangers. He’s not the greatest defensive potential of all time by any stretch, but he has coasted above .300 hitting in the minors and cracked home runs at furious paces. He turns 24 in February and has a real shot to be a franchise cornerstone for the next five to ten years.

Dark Horse: ?

My prediction is that Jung starts the season at third base and Kiner-Falefa is either traded or repositioned into the outfield, but the former seems far more likely and fair to IKF. Jung will be playing regular games at third base by mid-May, I can all but guarantee. In all honesty, I really don’t have any idea what will happen. Jung’s tear through minor league ball is exhilarating, but Sherten Apostel is nowhere near as major-league ready as Jung, offensively speaking.

The 2022 Texas Rangers roster as of now: Shortstops

Certainties: Corey Seager

Did I mention that Corey Seager and Marcus Semien are Texas Rangers? Here’s my shortstop preview: Corey Seager will play 120-130 games (if we get 162), he will be very very good, he will hit a lot of homers and drive in a lot of runs and get a lot of hits and make a lot of fun defensive plays and maybe bat flip a couple of times and it’ll be fun.

Dark Horse: Josh Smith

Brought over in the Joey Gallo trade, the Rangers’ #6 prospect could really bring value at either shortstop or second base. His hitting is reliable, with a career slash line of .313/.435/.519 in low-A minors, and he’s got great arm strength for a young infield talent. MLB.com has his Major League ETA at 2022, and it’s very possible he’s given some regular playing time through other players’ injuries or something of the sort. In 127 at-bats in Frisco in 2021, he stunted an .857 OPS with 30 hits, 18 walks, and 20 strikeouts, some very enjoyable stats for a young infielder.

The 2022 Texas Rangers roster as of now: Left Fielders

Certainties: Willie Calhoun

This is heavily asterisked. Houston Astro style.

Willie Calhoun’s character arc, to this point, has really disappointed me. I love the guy to death. He’s one of the easiest players on the team to pull for. He’s been through traumatic injuries, he’s one of the more tenured players on the team, and even still he just hasn’t really stuck the landing yet.

The problem is, he was supposed to be the key piece of the Yu Darvish trade with Los Angeles in 2017. In January of 2022, we’re sitting here talking about A.J. Alexy’s short 2021 stint and giving him the spotlight. He’s been hurt so often that he hasn’t been able to be relied upon. Calhoun hasn’t produced an OBP above .310 since his rookie season, he’s only accumulated 200 or more at-bats in a season twice, and forget about being a certainty at left field. He may not be a certainty for the roster at all.

Calhoun only started 67 games in 2021, a mere 38 of them in left field. Five different Rangers started 18 or more games in left field in 2021, and Calhoun is the safest bet going forward to hold that position down. Eli White is the only player likely to return from that group aside from Calhoun. Until the Rangers can find “the” guy, it’s probably up to Calhoun to get the job done. It sucks. Willie is a great dude and deserves to win, but he has done very little with a very short playing window and it’s all but put up or shut up time from him. Do I think he’s the most likely option to start the season at left field? Yes. But it’s going to take a lot for him to stay there, and his shelf life is ticking.

Dark Horse: Seiya Suzuki

The Japanese superstar still wants to play in Major League Baseball in 2022, despite all the drama surrounding the lockout. Although many clubs will clamor and pine for his talent, a Suzuki signing in Texas gives the Rangers a fresh shot of energy. He’s an electric player with power, swagger, and plenty of tenure playing in Japan. Texas has been called home by a plethora of Japanese players, particularly in recent years, including but not limited to: Yu Darvish, Kohei Arihara, Kyuji Fujikawa, Kojei Uehara, and Akinori Otsuka. Reports have listed Texas as a suitor Suzuki would prefer. A fresh, brand new hitters park for one of the most electric batters in Japan? Getting in on the cusp of a team hungry for competition very soon? These could be very luring propositions for a player itching for a new challenge.

The 2022 Texas Rangers roster as of now: Center Fielders

Certainties: Adolis García

Not a whole lot of controversy here. Adolis was the star of the show in Arlington in 2021 and was probably the main reason a fair share of fans even came to games. After being designated for assignment by the Rangers, then given another shot during spring training, he produced a powerful season at the plate with 31 home runs and a .741 OPS. Garcia spent about 79 games in center field in 2021 and 51 in right field. He was an All-Star, and a Gold Glove and Rookie of the Year candidate as well. Garcia will be the everyday starter at center field, depending on what the Rangers do with an outfielder-centered signing or trade.

Dark Horse:  Leody Taveras

Taveras just finished a winter ball regular season in the Carribean with a .274 average, 19 RBIs, and more walks than strikeouts in 40 games. He’s been able to showcase his talent at many levels. He’s 18 for 19 stealing bases in the majors, he has a respectable career slash line of .258/.326/.375 in the minors, and he’s got a cannon of an arm. He just has not been able to translate his hitting to the pros. He struck out 60 times in 174 at-bats with Texas in 2021. He’s so very close to being MLB-ready, but we’re waiting for it to carry over and it would be very beneficial for the Rangers if 2022 was the year.

The 2022 Texas Rangers roster as of now: Right Fielders

Certainties: Kole Calhoun

Once again, it all boils down to what the Rangers do between now and Opening Day, but it is safe to assume Kole Calhoun will not be a 100+ game starter in right field for the Rangers in 2022. The likelihood is that he serves a veteran role a la Brock Holt or Charlie Culberson in 2021. The team still has to find a move for Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who will not have room to squeeze in what was once his infield.

Calhoun hasn’t been productive in a while and was burdened by injury in 2021, but I still don’t really see him taking more than 200 or 250 at-bats this year. Anything is on the table, but he cost relatively nothing, so there’s not really any risk with him.

Dark Horse: Nick Castellanos

I think Texas is much more likely to land Suzuki, but Castellanos is still available as soon as the lockout ends, and there’s a deep drive into left field, that will be a home run. And so that’ll make it a 4-0 ballgame.

Castellanos produced an elite .362 OBP in 2021, and is coming off debatably his finest season in the majors. He’s only 29, has a career OPS+ of 115, and he’s a very consistent defensive outfielder. He’s easily one of the best free agents still on the market. Willie Calhoun is a fan favorite, but your outfield isn’t going to compete for championships if it’s between him and Adolis Garcia for outfield hitting production. However, if you can nab a guy like Castellanos, and let Calhoun and Garcia sit comfortably in the 6th/7th spots of the lineup… there’s a world of potential there. Castellanos wants a seven or eight-year deal, so the front office might not want to be serving those out like hotcakes, but he’d be a VERY nice icing on the cake for this outfield.