Could the 2025 Texas Rangers be the team to break this 14-year franchise record?

The benchmark for the Texas Rangers this season will be to surpass the 96 regular season wins, which is the franchise record set back in 2011. While that may not seem like a daunting number for a few franchises this year, this is the bar I expect the Rangers to reach.

There are many reasons to believe in this team and only one glaring concern as of right now. Many players are expected to step up from their 2024 performances and some looking to regain their 2023 form.

Everything you could want in a team is currently in Arlington. Exciting rookies, experienced bats up the middle, young players budding on superstardom, an ace in the rotation, experienced pitching and a ton of depth everywhere.

The only question is, can they do it?

The Main Concern: Leverage Bullpen Innings

The 2023 World Series campaign was the best time to ever root for the Rangers. This team is built incredibly similar, including its biggest weakness: Who is gonna close games?

That year we saw a plethora of arms attempt to close games throughout the season. Then when the postseason arrive, the ship was steadied by Jose Leclerc andJosh Sborz, one of which is no longer on the team and the other is starting the season on the Injured List. Texas spent all winter and some of spring training adding any arm they could to properly evaluate their options.

The team's most recent acquisition happened Wednesday, signing Hunter Strickland to a minor league deal with an invitation to the big league camp for the remainder of spring. If this sounds familiar, its because something similar has happened before.

In 2023, left-hander Will Smith was added on March 4 in same fashion. If this signing of Strickland shows something, its that we have similar concerns to the 2023 team when it comes to closing games or leverage situations.

While Strickland isn't a career closer, he has familiarity closing games for Bochy, recording 14 saves in 2018 for the San Francisco Giants. I am not necessarily advocating for Strickland to close games but this is a sign that the organization might still be looking for final pieces to the bullpen for the start of the regular season.

On top of Strickland, the Rangers added veteran experience and consistency in arms like Chris Martin, Hoby Milner and Jacob Webb which can make a good case to close games this season. There are a lot of question marks but the answers may be hiding in plain sight which could be an easy fix if problems start to arise.

Why 97 wins is achievable by the 2025 Texas Rangers

What is the biggest factor in helping the Rangers achieve that mark? The incredible depth of the lineup. When your core is headlined by All-Stars Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia and the firecracker Wyatt Langford in one lineup, anything is possible.

But it's the complimentary pieces of new additions Joc Pederson and Jake Burger, and the young bats prepared to shock people in Evan Carter, Josh Jung and Josh Smith, that truly help separate the Rangers from the rest. A lineup of this quality has the potential to break as many franchise records as possible.

Texas will also get an experienced lineup similarly to the makeup of that 2011 American League Pennant winning team. The Rangers will enter the season with two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovadi, Tyler Mahle, Jon Gray and Cody Bradford with a mix of Dane Dunning, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker when needed.

The biggest x-factor with the 2025 staff will be health and availability long term. What can they get from their young arms? Can they get a healthy deGrom for 25+ starts?

With the incredible depth in the lineup and rotation, it really does feel like this team can cover any situation that arises. Injuries are key to any season, but there doesn't seem to be a single position where there isn't an above average player ready to take over.

The 2011 Texas Rangers team had the ability to out-hit any lineup throughout the year, which was a main reason why they were able to go out and win 96 games while also taking advantage of a weak AL West, which didn't yet include the Houston Astros.

The 2025 team doesn't have that advantage. The AL West will be tough this year. The AL West features the best pitching staff potentially in all of baseball in Seattle, a sneakily good Athletics team, the consistently dominant Astros, and the Angels.

Having Bochy lead the team into this season is another huge factor too. Everyone in baseball remembers the feared even year Giants. Maybe the odd year Rangers' is Bochy's new dynasty he establishes during the last run of his career.

Having a manager that has guided multiple World Series and generationally talented teams is so incredibly important when entering a pivotal point of your franchise. This feels like we're entering a new era of success despite winning a World Series just two years ago.

The industry has begun to catch on to the Rangers chance to capitalize on the incredible amount of on roster talent as well. The topic has begun to sway from "World Series hangover" over to "Is this team slept on?"

The added "chip on the shoulder" in having to prove that 2023 was not a fluke is a real factor too. They are tired of answering questions regarding their disappointing season last year and are ready to go out and prove to everyone that they still deserve to be a top force in MLB.

Reaching that 97 win mark won't be easy. It will require good health and some lucky breaks, but if I were to bet on any team to set the franchise record in wins it would be this one.