Skip Schumaker's outfield plan proves young Rangers will get big opportunity

Rangers' decision to non-tender Adolis García and swap Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo gives young Rangers big opportunity

The Texas Rangers will have a different-looking outfield next season after non-tendering Adolis García and trading second baseman Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in exchange for Brandon Nimmo, who will most likely be Texas' primary left fielder in 2026.

With Nimmo likely being the Rangers' new left fielder, Wyatt Langford will likely move to right field while Evan Carter serves as the primary center fielder against righties. Manager Skip Schumaker has also hinted he might start Carter against lefties more often next season. If that's the case, Carter will likely slowly receive more and more at-bats against lefties as the season progresses. He still likely will be on the bench when the Rangers face highly-regarded lefties like Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet, meaning the Rangers have to figure out who else can play center field.

“In this league, you earn your stripes, but you have to give them opportunity to earn their stripes,” Schumaker said (video via DLLS Sports). “There are elite, ace-type lefties who are challenging for lefties and righties, and then there are some lefties you feel really comfortable letting them hit against — whether it’s a starter or maybe a middle reliever.”

The Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant reported that Schumaker is open to the possibility of having Langford be the primary center fielder next year. Langford already has experience in center field, as he has started 50 games up the middle with Texas. He has strong defensive metrics as a left fielder, and he has above-average speed, suggesting he could be successful as a full-time center fielder.

The Rangers will likely end up utilizing both Carter and Langford in center field. If Carter proves he can hit well against lefties, then he should be the full-time center fielder while Langford mans right field. But if Carter continues to struggle against southpaws, Langford will play more center field, and Schumaker may prefer to keep him there for consistency rather than move him to the corner against righties.

The Rangers may also use outfielder Michael Helman occasionally. He had success in 38 games with Texas at the end of the 2025 season, but he is almost 30 years old and posted a lowly .294 on-base percentage in Triple-A this past season.