The Rangers had finally started to look dangerous at the plate, and for a stretch from June 1 through late July, the numbers backed it up. Texas led the American League in batting average and OPS during that run, a welcome jolt after an offense that had been a concern for much of the season and, really, since the club came up short after its magical 2023 World Series run.
There’s still a version of this lineup that can work. Wyatt Langford should be a star.
Corey Seager has the kind of production track record that changes games. Joc Pederson has put together a resurgent 2026.
Brandon Nimmo has been better than expected at the plate, and both Josh Jung and Ezequiel Duran have had offensive awakenings. Add in Jake Burger’s power and the useful details guys like Nicky Lopez and Elias Diaz bring, and it’s not hard to imagine an average-or-better group if enough things break right.
But the player who was supposed to push the whole thing up another level was Evan Carter.
For a brief stretch, it looked like that was happening. Carter put together a scorching July, hitting .315/.431/.481 over 66 plate appearances. He was shielded from some tougher lefties, but the production was still a welcome sign for a 24-year-old who has been going through one of the most disappointing seasons of his young career.
Carter said in July to Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News that he was finally healthy and had a better grasp on his swing. At the time, the results matched the confidence.
Then August arrived, and the bottom fell out. In 35 plate appearances this month, Carter has hit just .067/.152/.067. That’s his worst month of the season so far, which is saying plenty given his .192/.303/.322 line overall.
The timing has made the slump sting even more. Since Josh Jung went down, the offense has struggled, and that has increased the pressure on Carter to be a difference-maker.
He’s not the only one dragging things down right now, either. Langford has gone ice-cold this month at .088/.295/.206, and Burger has hit .182/.233/.331 since July 1.
Still, Carter is the one who could swing the biggest bat if he gets back anywhere near his July level. He’s the most dynamic athlete on the roster, with an 87th percentile sprint speed and a baserunning run value of three. If he’s reaching base, his legs can become a real weapon.
That means more than just stolen bases. It’s the kind of speed that turns a single into first-to-third, or a routine hit into extra bases. The flashes have been there, but they’ve been buried under the offense’s overall struggles.
And that’s the catch. Carter’s speed can cover for a lot, but only if he’s actually getting on base.
He has power, too, but he hasn’t been using it. His defense remains excellent, but if he’s going to be an offensive black hole, the Rangers can’t really afford to keep running him out there.
Carter still has the talent to make the biggest individual impact on Texas’ offensive outlook. The problem is that outside of the occasional burst, he hasn’t done it often enough. With the rest of the lineup now cooling off, the Rangers are left in a tough spot.
In Other News...
Rangers Fans Finally Get An Easier Way To Watch Local Games
Rangers fans who have been juggling where to find games now have another option on the living-room screen, as Rangers Sports Network broadcasts have expanded to the BZZR app on Roku devices. The move gives the club a broader streaming footprint after its switch from Victory+ to BZZR at the All-Star break, while keeping the same broadcast crew in place on the traditional RSN outlets.
For viewers, the bigger takeaway is convenience. The first game on the new platform is now in the books, and fans who came over from Victory+ have already been moved into BZZR accounts without having to pay anything extra for 2026, a sign the Rangers are trying to make local broadcasts easier to access as they settle into the new setup. [Read more 🡒]
Three Rangers Just Became The Center Of A Tough Offseason Debate
The Rangers deadline activity was modest, more about shoring up the margins than making a splash, with the club adding relievers Chase Silseth and Adam Macko and catcher Logan OHoppe while sending utility man Josh Smith to Toronto. But as the front office looks ahead, the real conversation is turning inward, where a few familiar names have left a much bigger question hanging over the roster than anything the deadline brought back.
Jake Burger, Evan Carter and Danny Jansen each arrived with enough expectation to matter, and each has spent enough of the season undercutting it to make the offseason picture murky. Burger has driven in runs but paired that with a strikeout rate that keeps the pressure on his role, Carter has struggled to provide steady contact or handle left-handed pitching, and Jansen has not given Texas the kind of production the two-year deal was supposed to buy. For a club trying to sort out what its lineup should look like next year, those three have become the center of a decision that is still waiting to be made. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Farm System Just Got Even More Exciting For The Future
MLB Pipelines latest update gave the Rangers another reminder that the pipeline in Arlington is loaded with upside, starting with shortstop Sebastian Walcott landing atop the entire prospect list and checking in at No. 9 overall. The rest of the system got a noticeable boost, too, with first-round pick Gio Rojas coming in at No. 3 in Texas Top 30 and No. 97 overall, a sign that the organizations recent draft work is starting to show up where it matters most.
Connor Comeau also cracked the Rangers top ten, while Brody Bumila landed just outside it, giving the front office more reason to feel good about the talent it has added in a relatively short span. Rankings are only a snapshot, of course, but for a club trying to keep its long-term footing strong, this kind of depth is the sort of development that can make the next wave in the minors worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]