SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Rangers’ roster got a bit of a makeover for 2026, subtracting players like Marcus Semien, Adolis García and Jonah Heim and adding players like Brandon Nimmo, Danny Jansen and MacKenzie Gore.
On top of that, they’ve got a new manager in Skip Schumaker, along with new staff members to usher in a new era in Arlington.
Here is the latest position-by-position prediction for Schumaker’s first Opening Day roster with the Rangers.
Catcher (2): Kyle Higashioka, Danny Jansen
After Texas parted ways with All-Star catcher Heim this offseason, the club signed Jansen to share catching duties with Higashioka. The two will likely split time behind the plate nearly equally.
First baseman (1): Jake Burger
Burger’s first season with the Rangers didn’t go as well as he hoped, including three stints on the injured list that kept him from getting into a groove. He had surgery on his left wrist this offseason and was a full go for the start of Spring Training as he hopes to return to form in 2026.
Second baseman (1): Josh Smith
The one major position battle in camp is who replaces Semien at second base. Smith has long been seen as the leading internal candidate, though Ezequiel Duran, Cody Freeman and others will be options to compete for the spot.
Shortstop (1): Corey Seager
Seager, the Rangers’ franchise superstar, played just 102 games in 2025, by far the fewest of his Texas tenure. Despite the injuries that have plagued him over the past few seasons, he’s still one of the best players in baseball when he's healthy.
Third baseman (1): Josh Jung
2025 was the healthiest year of Jung’s professional career, but his offense declined once again as he failed to live up to his All-Star rookie season in 2023. This season, he remains the starter at the hot corner as he looks to improve upon his .684 OPS from '25.
Outfielders (3): Wyatt Langford, Brandon Nimmo, Evan Carter
The Rangers acquired Nimmo from the Mets in November, adding some more pop in an outfield that needed it last season. Nimmo joins a pair of young outfielders in Carter and Langford, both of whom are hoping for huge leaps forward in 2026.
DH (1): Joc Pederson
Pederson had the worst offensive season of his career in 2025, hitting .181 with a .613 OPS.
Bench/Utility (3): Sam Haggerty, Andrew McCutchen, Tyler Wade
With superutility man Smith likely holding down second base, the Rangers will look to a trio of versatile players to fill the final bench spots. A switch-hitter, Haggerty has become a quality bench bat over the last year and will be even better if he continues to be healthy and Wade has the ability to play every spot in the infield and outfield. McCutchen signed a Minor League deal midway through camp and still has an uphill battle to make the roster, but he is a good complement to Pederson at DH.
Starting pitchers (5): Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Jack Leiter, MacKenzie Gore, Jacob Latz
The Rangers’ trade for Gore solidified the rotation headed by deGrom and Eovaldi. The fifth-starter spot will come down to Latz and Kumar Rocker.
Relief pitchers (8): Chris Martin, Robert Garcia, Alexis Díaz, Tyler Anderson, Jakob Junis, Cole Winn, Carter Baumler, Josh Sborz
Texas nearly fully rebuilt the bullpen after a handful of losses in free agency, though Díaz, Anderson and Junis were solid additions. Texas also brought back Martin on a one-year deal as he figures to be in the thick of the closer competition. The final two spots will come down to a handful of pitchers, though Baumler (Rule 5) and Sborz (NRI) have both had good enough camps to earn their spots.