Concerning Evan Carter development has erased a lot of Rangers optimism

For the majority of the season, the Texas Rangers' offensive performance has been a concern. In reality, the concern dates back longer, ever since the club fell flat following the magical 2023 World Series run. However, for a not-so-brief moment this year, the Rangers were actually good at the plate. From June 1 through late July, Texas led the American League in both batting average and OPS.

If you look closely, there's reason to believe that the Rangers' lineup could be potent. Wyatt Langford should be a star, Corey Seager has a track record of exceptional production, Joc Pederson has undergone a resurgent 2026, Brandon Nimmo has been even better than expected at the plate, and Josh Jung and Ezequiel Duran have both experienced offensive awakenings.

Throw in some power production from Jake Burger and the little things that guys like Nicky Lopez and Elias Diaz do, and it's not hard to see this being an average or better lineup if all the ifs and buts come together. But what really could take the unit to the next level is if Evan Carter could be an X-factor, much like how he was during his torrid 2023 run.

For a while, it seemed like that was happening. In July, Carter hit a sizzling .315/.431/.481. It came across 66 plate appearances, and he was mostly hidden from tough lefties, but it was an encouraging sign as the 24-year-old has undergone one of the most disappointing seasons of his young career.

The Rangers' offense has had the wind taken out of its sails as Evan Carter flounders

During his hot July run, Carter told Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News that he was finally healthy and better understood his swing. The results seemed to back up his claims.

However, as soon as the calendar flipped to August, Carter cratered hard. So far, he's logged 35 plate appearances and hit just .067/.152/.067. It's been the worst month of his season thus far, and that's saying something considering he owns a .192/.303/.322 line on the year.

Since Josh Jung went down, the offense has really struggled, putting pressure on the likes of Carter to step up. To be fair, the young center fielder isn't the only one holding the team back right now. Langford is also ice cold, hitting just .088/.295/.206 this month, and Burger slashing .182/.233/.331 since July 1.

Those guys need to turn it on, for sure, but it's Carter who could have the greatest impact if he can reach something in the neighborhood where he was living in July. Reason being, Carter is the most dynamic athlete on the team. He registers an 87th percentile sprint speed and has posted a baserunning run value of three.

If Carter is getting on base, that gives him the opportunity to use his legs to impact a game. That's not simply stealing bases, either, but rather going first to third on a single and also turning what would be singles for most players into doubles. We've seen flashes of the type of impact his legs can make, but the results have been muted thanks to his offensive ineptitude.

The thing is, Carter's game-changing ability on the bases can help hide a lot of ills. It can allow him to score when others would be left stranded, and an extra run here and there can be the difference between wins and losses.

But in order to do that, he has to get on base, which he isn't doing. Carter also has power, which he isn't utilizing. His defense is superb, but if he's going to be an offensive black hole, the Rangers really can't afford to have him in the lineup.

Evan Carter has the talent to single-handedly make the greatest impact on the Rangers' offensive fortunes, but outside of a flash here and there, he hasn't done it consistently. With others now slumping, it's put the club in dire straits.

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