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Rangers success lies in the hands of these 3 position players

ByStephen Perez|
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May 24, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson (4) celebrates with third baseman Josh Jung (6) after scoring against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
May 24, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson (4) celebrates with third baseman Josh Jung (6) after scoring against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers are desperately wanting to recapture their offensive success from a few seasons ago to pair with one of the best starting pitching staffs in baseball but that is reliant on whether or not some players answer the call this year.

An 81-81 season should've been 92-70 but a bottom five offense kept them out of the playoffs for the second straight season. While a touch of that underperformance were injuries, most of it contributes to players not living up to the hype.

Texas made sure to get rid of a few struggling players but still hold onto three position players that need to step up or the Rangers will be watching postseason baseball from their couch.

3 players who will make or break the Rangers in 2026

Jake Burger, 1B

Burger's injury riddled 2025 had a lot of fans questioning why the Rangers even decided to part with their former Gold Glove first baseman Nathaniel Lowe in the first place. In just 103 games, the 31-year-old dropped his offensive production from 29 homers and 76 RBIs with Miami in 2024 to 16 and 53 in 2025. If he's healthy and can play in 140-150 games, he will find a way to contribute by hitting home runs and driving in runs.

Josh Jung, 3B

Massively hoping for a bounce back, the former first round pick is not ready to call his time in Texas over but that's solely up to him. He looked lost the plate last year, hitting a career low .251 and only mustering 14 homers, which earned him a midseason demotion to Triple-A Round Rock. The Rangers are a better team when Jung is on the field and productive. Now it's all about unlocking that productivity.

Joc Pederson, DH

Without a doubt the most disappointing addition for the Rangers last season was the 33-year-old DH. After a great 2024 season with Arizona, Pederson was signed by Texas to a two-year deal and expected to be the power they lacked from the DH spot. He finished the year with a .181 average, nine homers, 26 RBIs, 28 runs scored, 81 OPS+ and missed two months due to a broken hand.

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