3 underrated players the Texas Rangers are deeply missing and aren't getting back

The Texas Rangers are having a less than expected start to the 2025 regular season. After beginning the year 8-2, they have lost 11 of their last 17 games and each game keeps getting worse and worse.

As a team, Texas is looking tremendous on the starting rotation front with Nathan Eovaldi, Tyler Mahle, Jacob deGrom and Jack Leiter seemingly falling into their own to start the year. deGrom is actually the odd man of the four arms with an 3.33 ERA in his five starts.

The offense on the other hand is the worst in baseball, with only 86 runs scored and an OPS nearly 200 points lower than the league leading New York Yankees. That being said, Texas could use some reinforcements but it won't include any of the three players on this list.

3 underrated players the Texas Rangers are deeply missing and aren't getting back

Travis Jankowski

The Rangers on paper actually have a log jam of outfielders in the team's farm system but none seem to be clicking at this moment.

Leody Taveras and Evan Carter haven't been good to start the year in Triple-A Round Rock. Texas has had to work with what they have in Taveras, Dustin Harris and veteran Kevin Pillar. Travis Jankowski on the other hand is currently being stashed away in the Tampa Bay Rays minor league system after being DFA'd and then later traded from the White Sox last week.

Granted Jankowski is not a needle mover for a big league roster but he brings what Texas heavily needs right now, a reliable outfielder with tremendous plate discipline and veteran clubhouse leadership. Jankowski was one of the pillars of comfort and reliability the last two years with Texas and I think that is what makes him underrated what Texas is deeply missing in their core right now.

Nathaniel Lowe

Again, I understand why the Rangers traded away Nathaniel Lowe. He was coming off a tough 2024 and really wasn't as strong as his Silver Slugger season in 2023 either. Lowe was going to be due $10 million this season and they opted to trade him for bullpen help.

Texas did their due diligence by trading for Jake Burger, who is making less than $1 million this year but also has 30+ home run potential and with the Rangers coaching staff could become a Gold Glove first baseman. Burger's defense hasn't been the issue to start the year, it's been the bat.

In 86 at-bats, Burger is slashing .174/.207/.326 with three homers and 11 runs driven in and his OPS is only .533, well below the league average of .702. The Rangers former first baseman has been scorching hot in the nation's capital, although has cooled down as of late. He's still hitting .245 with 4 home runs and 19 RBIs on the year with that OPS over 200 points higher.

David Roberston

Technically speaking the Rangers or any of the other 29 teams could get David Roberston if they wanted to as the right-hander is still somehow a free agent in late April. But if Texas didn't grab him among their period of relief add-ons during spring training, then they won't do it now.

Texas needed a reliable closer to start the year after letting go of Jose Leclerc, Kirby Yates and Roberston, as well as having to start the year with Josh Sborz on the IL. Roberston was terrific with the Rangers last season, throwing 72 innings out of the bullpen with a 3.00 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.

Instead the Rangers grabbed several closer options and it's worked thus far with Luke Jackson who is 8 for 9 in save opportunities yet has been involved in three unfortunate losses to start the year, including Sunday's walk-off error inside-the-parker to San Francisco.