3 Rangers players that will be better in 2025, 2 who won't

We are closing in on the beginning of the 2025 Major League Baseball regular season. Only 18 days away until the Texas Rangers take the field at Globe Life Field against Boston.

We've gotten a glimpse, their abilities and what they are feeling throughout the spring. While there are some players like Corey Seager and Marcus Semien not performing well in spring training, there's no major concern there.

What the Rangers have to concern themselves with are the players that either a) had a tough 2024 season, b) don't look good in spring or c) all of the above. In that same spirit I am going to name five players, three of which will bounce back and find success and the last two who still won't get it together in 2025.

Which Rangers' players will bounce back in 2025?

Jonah Heim

Let's start by saying this. We are likely not going to get the 2023 version of Jonah next year, a hybrid between his last two seasons. Texas did the right move by going out and getting a catcher in Kyle Higashioka that can share the duties behind the plate with Heim. Over the last three seasons, Jonah was among the top six players in the league in games played with majority of those being behind the dish.

While it was fine pre-2023, it's not a good solution now. He had a great '23 but he basically laid his body and mind out in the open to deliver that championship ring. Mix that with his wrist injury from July 2023, last year from the start was him catching up to the rest.

This season while splitting catching duties with Higashioka we will see a more well-rounded version of himself on both sides of the ball. While he might not drive in 100 runs he can still give above average contribution at the bottom of the batting order and help lead the pitching staff.

Ezequiel Duran

Duran is an interesting case to put on this side of the list. He's only hitting .118 in 17 spring at-bats and what we saw in 2024 left a lot to be desired.

However, I do think if Zeke is given the chance he will outperform his abysmal numbers of just three home runs and 20 RBIs last year. He'll have close to a 2023 resurgence but it will last throughout the season rather than only the first half of the year. Duran's plus-plus fielding and arm will give him a lot of opportunities. He just needs to get back to hitting the ball hard while avoiding the swing and miss at pitches nowhere close to the zone.

He has a steep hill to climb to even be an option for Bochy out of spring camp. If he doesn't turn it around he will start 2025 at Triple-A Round Rock and who knows what will happen from there.

Marcus Semien

It’s strange putting Semien on this list because in his three seasons in Texas he hasn’t put up an unproductive season.

But by the standards he sets of himself, 2025 was a season that left a lot to be desired. For starters, he was dealing with uncomfortable situations meaning the long 2023 season caused an overall lack of energy. Which caused him to stray off his normal 162 games pace and fall back to 159 games played.

While he still made the All-Star team he wasn’t that great of an option. Semien hit .237/.308/.391 with a bottom-three career OPS of .699. The former Gold Glover still found a way to hit 23 home runs and drive in 74 runs.

Although he’s off to a tough start this spring, Marcus has always been slow to kick off a season. His reputation, hard work and dedication mixed with even his bad seasons being okay is enough to make Texas feel comfortable about him having another 2023 caliber year.

Which Rangers’ players will fail to improve?

Jacob Latz

Latz is a pitcher that I wish would get it together. A 2017 fifth-round pick has all the makings to be a successful reliever in the majors.

I will say he’s career ERA isn’t bad, a hair under 3.5 but his 2024 season ended with a 3.71 ERA and worse than that, a 1.51 WHIP, which was the sixth worst in the league last year. Latz was one of the Rangers' recent moves, sending the lefty to minor league camp on Sunday while he faces recovery from a back injury.

For those who are unaware of WHIP, it’s walks and hit per innings pitched. The lower the number, the less hits and walks a pitcher surrenders per nine innings. His stuff isn't mind-blowing either. He only throws a 94.9 mph fastball and while he doesn’t allow a lot of hard hits and gets hitters to swing and miss he just can’t stop walking batters.

Leody Taveras

Taveras is a player that have to accept will never find his true breakout season. It’s a bit harsh but the team has been waiting on him to pan out for nine years and we still aren’t super impressed.

The best season Texas has even gotten from the 26-year-old was a 14 home run season in 2023 but that was overlooked by poor defensive play in center field. In 2024, he took a step back into his old habits at the plate only hitting .229 with a .641 OPS.

Taveras is firmly in a race for the starting center field job with 22-year-old Evan Carter this spring. There is no doubt that he has a fit on the Opening Day roster but he also is one of Texas' three rostered players that are without minor leagues options this year.

It will be up to Leody whether he wants to be in Texas or not because if he doesn't perform, the Rangers will ship him out elsewhere by the trade deadline.