3 surprising players who are off to strong starts for the Rangers

There hasn't been a lot to write home about for the 2025 Texas Rangers. Yes, they are 9-7 and second place in the AL West but every other metric shows that shouldn't be the case.

However, there has been a handful of bright spots that showcase this team is capable of being one of the best teams in Major League Baseball. It's all about whether they can keep it up and the other pieces of the puzzle can join in on the fun.

Here are three players that are off to hot starts for the Rangers in 2025.

3 players off to surprising strong starts for the Rangers this season

Jonah Heim

We didn't see this one coming but Jonah Heim has been one of the strongest producers in the lineup. Not that we didn't believe Heim could return to a form that wasn't last season, it was that the rest of the lineup would be knocking the cover off the ball.

In 11 games this season, Jonah is slashing .270/.270/.514 with 3 home runs, 7 runs batted in, 2 stolen bases and a .784 OPS. Now those numbers aren't getting him into the conversation for the best hitter but after a horrendous 2024 campaign, what a turnaround it has been.

When the Rangers signed Kyle Higashioka over the offseason, they made it clear both Heim and Higashioka will be evenly splitting playing time. I think Heim took it seriously and went to work. While his spring was less than ideal he's turned the corner into a bonafide starting catcher in this league.

Kevin Pillar

Now the sample size is small but Pillar is doing exactly what he showcased he could do in spring training: play top-level defense and smash against left-handed hitters.

Pillar, 36, is in his 13th season in the big leagues, he is hitting .455 off left-handers in 11 at-bats. In total he has a .313 batting average, 5 runs scored, a stolen base and a .313 on-base percentage. He is also playing as good of defense as he has his whole career.

With the less than stellar play from Leody Taveras to kick off the season, some could argue that Pillar should be the everyday starting centerfield. At least until Taveras starts playing better or if Evan Carter eventually plays his way back up from Triple-A.

Josh Smith

Seems strange to categorize Smith's performance to start the year as surprising giving last year was his breakout performance. But we weren't sure how his 2024 was going to translate to 2025, or if it even was going to.

Now 16 games into the year, Smith has been thrust into various utility roles with the early season injuries of Josh Jung and Wyatt Langford, as well as, the bothering calf injury from Corey Seager. In 14 games, the 27-year-old from Louisiana is hitting .342 with a .932 OPS, a home run, 3 RBI's, 3 stolen bases and 8 runs scored.

Smith, who won a utility Silver Slugger season is making an early case to make it two straight. He could also find himself in contention for the AL Utility Gold Glove, having played above-average defense in 5 different positions thus far: 1B, 2B, 3B, SS and LF.