Marcus Semien’s return to Globe Life Field came with a trade and a new uniform, but not a changed mind.
Back in Arlington for the first time since the Rangers sent him to the New York Mets in the offseason for outfielder Brandon Nimmo, Semien made it clear that the last two years of his Texas tenure don’t erase what he experienced there. Yes, the numbers dipped.
Yes, the ending was rough. But the way he talks about the franchise, the clubhouse and the championship still carries real weight.
He was the Rangers’ second baseman from the start of a seven-year deal he signed before the 2022 season, and for plenty of fans, he’ll always be tied to the biggest swing of that run: the home runs he hit in Game 4 and Game 5 of the 2023 World Series. Those blasts helped deliver the organization’s first title in more than 50 years, and Semien described that stretch as the “pinnacle” of his career in a conversation with reporters, including Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required).
"We really had a great group of guys in that clubhouse," Semien said. "[Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young], that was his goal, was to bring the right people in. It all worked out."
That kind of reflection fits the arc of his Texas years. Semien arrived after a monster offensive season with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021, when he hit .265 with 45 home runs and 102 RBI and played 162 games for the second straight year. Durability was already part of his reputation, and he kept that streak going in Texas.
The first year was uneven. A shortened spring training following a work stoppage didn’t help, and he opened slowly before finding more rhythm after moving into the leadoff spot. He finished 2022 with a .248/.304/.429 line, 26 home runs and 83 RBI.
The next season was the peak. Semien played all 162 games again and posted a .276/.348/.478 slash line with 29 home runs and 100 RBI. He was the American League’s starting second baseman in the All-Star Game, won an AL Silver Slugger and finished third in AL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani and Corey Seager.
The final two seasons in Texas were less productive, and a foot injury cut his season short last August. Even so, he still managed to make an All-Star team in 2024 and win an AL Gold Glove in 2025. Over those two years, he hit .234/.307/.379 with 38 home runs and 136 RBI after losing the leadoff role.
His start with the Mets has been a tougher one, too. Semien missed time earlier this year because of an injury and has struggled at the plate, batting .219/.285/.341 with 14 home runs and 48 RBI. He has two years left on his contract.
And even with the move and the slump, Semien still hasn’t left Texas behind completely. He remains in the Dallas area, a reminder that the place where he won a ring also became home.
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Macko, acquired at the trade deadline, had appeared in eight games and carried a 6.00 ERA before the Rangers decided to option him out. For a team trying to line up its relief mix with the playoffs approaching, Grays timing matters, and Texas will be hoping he can settle back in quickly after the layoff. [Read more 🡒]
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Now the standings are where the Rangers least wanted them to be, with Texas still a half-game ahead of Houston and just five games left to play. Winning the division means finishing in front of the Astros, and after this loss, every inning from here on out carries the kind of weight that turns a tense stretch run into something far more nerve-racking. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Suddenly Face A Big Joc Pederson Problem In Final Week
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Michael Helmans return gives Texas another moving part to work with, but the bigger roster cost came on the pitching side when Cal Quantrill was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster. Quantrills season is now over because of a lat strain, adding another layer of attrition to a team already sorting through injuries at the worst possible moment. For a Rangers club trying to survive the last week, the absence of Pederson leaves one more hole to patch and one less established option to lean on. [Read more 🡒]