Texas Rangers president of baseball operations wants competition, a younger and more athletic team in 2027. Can he make that happen?
There are hurdles and obstacles in the way. Some of that is the expected labor stoppage in December. Some of that is the massive contracts the Rangers have for six regulars on the team. You can’t just bench those players.
So as we attempted our first look at a projected opening day 2027 lineup, we took into account what the Rangers will have under contract — but not what they might acquire between the end of the World Series and the expected lockout in December.
For now, the lineup looks remarkably like last year, with a couple of notable exceptions.
Catcher: Logan O’Hoppe
Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels, the Rangers are going to be looking for more pop behind the plate in 2027. O’Hoppe can provide that. He slashed .353/.333/.412 in 10 games with the Rangers. His lifetime slash of .229/.284/.388 is better than Danny Jansen (.218/.309/.412) and there is more power in his bat.
O’Hoppe’s inclusion in the lineup will hinge on two things. First, can he show in spring training, and he can have an on-base percentage better than his lifetime .284? Second, can he handle a pitching staff filled with veterans like Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, assuming they’re still there?
First Base: Jake Burger
He did have a bounce-back year offensively, as he slashed .228/.302/.421 with a team-high 28 home runs and 90 RBI. He also had a career-high in strikeouts (167) and walks (56).
The question for the Rangers is can they live with outcomes they’re getting with two arbitration seasons remaining? When healthy he can hit home runs and drive in runs. But he’s also prone to slumps and he barely reached .300 in OBP in 2026. With all the labor uncertainty, the Rangers will likely stick with the devil that they know. But don’t be surprised if they let Justin Foscue push him in spring training.
Second Base: Ezequiel Duran
This is probably the easiest decision the Rangers have to make this offseason. Duran emerged as a fantastic super utility player but he’s deserving of an everyday role at set position. Second base should be open, assuming Texas doesn’t re-sign Nicky Lopez or sees a sparkplug player like Cody Freeman as a better option.
Duran slashed .260/.320/.419 with 17 home runs and 83 RBI. He already a finalist for the AL Gold Glove at utility player and should be a finalist for Silver Slugger as well. The Rangers want competition in spring training, but Duran is their best option at second base.
Shortstop: Corey Seager
Texas could entertain trading Seager, but it will be a tough sell. He has five years remaining at more than $30 million per season. If he’s traded, then one can throw this lineup out the window because it will have a cascading effect. In that case, Texas probably isn’t just trading Seager.
But if he’s back, he’ll be the starting shortstop. He won’t be the full-time DH. He doesn’t want it and the Rangers don’t want it either. Texas might be better off keeping him after his 2026 season in which he slashed .227/.312/.424 with 20 home runs and 51 RBI. He might have more value in a deadline scenario if his numbers perk up and he proves he’s healthy.
Third Base: Josh Jung
He’s an injury liability and in certain situations he could be traded. But, as with Burger, it’s a “devil that you know” kind of offseason — and Jung did have the best all-around season of his career as he slashed .299/.365/.462 with 12 home runs and 42 RBI. He did not have his best defensive season, but he’s proven in the past that he’s a better defender.
If not Jung, then who? If traded, it would likely be Ezequiel Duran. That’s part of the cascading effect of trading a player like Seager or Jung. It reshuffles multiple positions.
Right Field: Brandon Nimmo
The Rangers got solid return on Nimmo after his first season with the franchise as he slashed .260/.324/.405 with 14 home runs and 62 RBI. But Texas understands that it has Nimmo under contract for four more years and, like Marcus Semien, they'll have to manage any potential decline he might have down the line.
Still, there's plenty to like about how he fits into the offense, specifically his ability to hit right-handed and left-handed pitching equally and to get on base. His walk rate and strikeout rates were in line with his five-year averages, but he still fits with the Rangers want to do long term.
Center Field: Alejandro Osuna
Let’s roll the dice a bit and put Osuna in center field for the season opener. This doesn’t mean Evan Carter is traded. It just means that coming out of spring training Osuna will win an open competition for the job. If the Rangers are serious about competition, they should pit the pair against one another in Surprise.
Osuna slashed .260/.349/.304 with one home run and 25 RBI. He gets on base, draws walks and can hit right-handed and left-handed pitching effectively. That addresses Carter’s biggest problem — his inability to hit left-handed pitching.
The Rangers want Carter to be the long-term answer. But they can’t be afraid to let someone overtake him.
Left Field: Wyatt Langford
I can't envision a scenario which the Rangers would trade Langford, especially since he's about to enter arbitration and his cost can be controlled for three more seasons. Plus, given the season he had in 2026, he won't cost much.
He finished with a slash line of .238/.333/.421 with 17 home runs and 44 RBI as he missed more than two months with injuries. The Rangers need him to remain healthy, but given his overall cost and his ceiling, the Rangers are more likely to move him to center field than they are to trade him.
Designated Hitter: Justin Foscue
Justin Foscue had a breakthrough season for the Rangers, as he became their right-handed DH against left-handed pitching. He slashed .271/.332/.484 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI. He put his best offensive numbers and played multiple positions. But with the current roster his best everyday fit is probably going to be at DH.
The question is whether he can hit right-handed pitching? While he had a great slash against lefties, he faltered against righties. He needs to show he can hit both in spring training or the Rangers could use a different DH on opening day.
Starting Pitcher: Jacob deGrom
The Rangers have eschewed using Jacob deGrom as the opening day starter the past two seasons to manage his starts and give him as many opportunities for extra days off as possible. The schedule lines up to give him that extra rest for at least his first three turns by starting him on opening day. Texas will lean into that given that this is his final season with the Rangers, barring Texas picking up his team option.
deGrom went 11-11 with a 4.20 ERA in 2026. He hasn’t started on opening day since 2023.
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