5 Rangers awards and demerits at the 2026 All-Star break

So we've arrived at what for die-hard baseball fans might consider the worst 6-day period of the major league season - the All-Star break. That means no competitive baseball for close to a week, and what will we do with ourselves without the greatest game in the world? How about handing out some hardware to some Texas Rangers who have been superb in one area or another and deserve one shining moment and an award from Nolan Writin'

There are a lot of impressive performances to laud as the offense has ticked up from 2025, and the pitching is still keeping the Rangers afloat atop the mediocre AL West. So without further ado, let's hand out our first-half awards to the deserving individuals.

Here are the Rangers who have left their mark with excellent play in the first half of the 2026 season

Comeback Player of the Year - Joc Pederson DH

2025 was such an unmitigated disaster that everyone was calling for his head and wondering if Pederson was the worst free-agent signing in the organization's history. People had huge doubts about Chris Young's ability to evaluate talent and make smart financial decisions with Ray Davis's limited payroll. At the All-Star Break last year, Pederson was slashing a shockingly horrid .131/.269/.238 with 2 homers and 6 RBIs in 122 at-bats. He was also on the IL at the time. $34 million/2 years for this??

2026 has been a completely different story. Pederson has been a rock at the top of the order and shown exactly why he has been a two-time All-Star and part of two World Series championship-winning teams. He has hit for power from the top spot in the first half with 15 dingers and a slugging percentage of .460. He is also working pitchers into deep counts with a .334 OBP. Pederson's 2026 marks are almost exactly on par with his career numbers. Good on Joc for putting last year behind him and rebounding.

Honorable Mention: Josh Jung

Most Surprising Positional Player - Nicky Lopez INF

Where did this guy come from? Well, technically, we know he was picked up from the Cubs, but you get the point. Lopez has played for six teams over his seven-year career. He is the very definition of a journeyman. But he has shown up in Arlington and been a gamer from day one. Most of what Lopez does cannot be measured in gaudy stats, as he is satisfied with doing the little things and the dirty work that every team needs to succeed.

Aside from his stellar defense at multiple infield positions, he has also put up numbers that far exceed anything he has done as a player. After being signed in late May following the death of his grandfather, Lopez is slashing a career-best .324/.360/.380. His infectious energy is a good kind of contagion, and he brings an extra element of feistiness to go along with guys like Alejandro Osuna and Justin Foscue. He is the perfect utility guy and made Josh Smith expendable, as he is currently in Round Rock.

Honorable Mention: Justin Foscue

Most Valuable Player - Josh Jung 3B

You could make an argument for Jake Burger here because he has picked up his game and is leading the team in HR (16) and RBI (58). But considering what Jung has had to overcome after a really poor 2025 that saw him both relegated and benched, his unyielding consistency has been the keystone to this team's offensive success.

More impressive is Jung's complete commitment to changing his approach at the plate. He went from swinging wildly from his heels in 2025 to a guy focused on making good contact, as evidenced by his .294/.361/.444 slash. Most impressive is how he is dominating with two strikes. His .241 average with two strikes is one of the top five in all of baseball. We'd like to see him focus a little more at the hot corner, as his defense has really become a question mark, but still doesn't outweigh his significant offensive contributions.

Honorable Mention: Jake Burger, Ezequiel Duran

Most Disappointing Player - Corey Seager - SS

This one is pretty darn obvious, isn't it? Between three IL stints and lack of production when he is out there, Seager is a no-brainer for this ignominious baseball Razzie. Where to begin, right? The slash (.182/.292/.374) tells most of the sad story on offense. These are all career lows, and it's not even close. It's hard to swallow paying a guy $200,000 a game to sit and not even try to play through the pain. Hall of Fame former Ranger iron man Adrian Beltre is shaking his head for sure.

What also grinds a lot of the Ranger fanbase the wrong way is that he doesn't seem to particularly care that he is stealing money that could be going toward building a stronger contender. His defenders will point out that he is naturally laconic and has always lacked enthusiasm. They will tell you he is just a laid-back leader-by-example kind of player. Well, that's fine and good when the example isn't in the tank!

Honorable Mention: MacKenzie Gore. Josh Smith, Jack Leiter

Most Valuable Pitcher - Jacob Latz RP

The team's lone All-Star representative will be boarding a plane bound for Philly after Sunday's game to participate in his first Midsummer Classic. It couldn't happen to a more deserving and humble guy. Latz has been a Godsend in transitioning from swingman to slam-the-door, unhittable closer. He has taken his game to new levels that not a lot of people in the organization or the fanbase thought were possible.

With his 18 saves, Latz ranks 5th in the AL, but that number doesn't really tell the story, as Skip Schumaker didn't commit to him as the closer until several weeks into the season. What tells the story is his 1.65 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, 2.1 bWAR, and 46 Ks against just 10 walks in 43,1 innings pitched. Latz has been as close to a slam dunk as the Rangers have had at closer in a very long time. We can't even remember the last time the Rangers had a closer who was as dominant as Latz has been this season. John Wetteland? Jeff Russell? We don't think so.

Hopefully, Jake can keep the mojo going and deliver more nasty stuff in the second half to match his all-star-worthy first half.

Honorable Mention: Jacob deGrom

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