Breaking down Texas Rangers’ 2026 Opening Day roster

The Texas Rangers have star power in the lineup (Corey Seager, Brandon Nimmo, Wyatt Langford) and rotation (Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi), but still lack a marquee reliever.

PHILADELPHIA — The fun is set to begin Thursday as the Texas Rangers begin their 2026 season against the Philadelphia Phillies. External expectations for the Rangers are lukewarm, with a highly regarded starting rotation but a wait-and-see offense and bullpen.

The Rangers don’t lack star power on the 26-man Opening Day roster. On the hitting front, Corey Seager continues to rate as the Rangers’ best hitter, and newcomer Brandon Nimmo brings power and on-base to the leadoff spot. Expectations are again high for Wyatt Langord.

Nathan Eovaldi and two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom headline the rotation.

The other 21 players? Most of them are recognizable to baseball fans, and the rest could be by season’s end. Here’s a breakdown of the players who will be on the roster to begin the Rangers’ 56th season.

TEX transactions for Wed. to set 26-man roster:

-OF Andrew McCutchen contract selected from AAA Round Rock
-LHP Cody Bradford placed on 15-day IL (L. elbow surgery rehab)
-INF Cody Freeman placed on 10-day IL (lumbar stress reaction)
-OF Dairon Blanco designated for assignment pic.twitter.com/SzVLjv1nK8

— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) March 25, 2026

Starting rotation

The strength of the team is its starting rotation, which features two top-tier veterans and three promising young arms. The Rangers led baseball last season in ERA for the first time in franchise history and are again in the conversation of the best rotation in baseball. Their young arms have to work more efficiently, and health will be a priority. A reinforcement, Cody Bradford, should be ready in mid-May after completing his rehab from elbow surgery. He opens the season on the 15-day injured list.

RHP Nathan Eovaldi: The Opening Day starter for a third straight season — a feat that ties Charlie Hough, Nolan Ryan and Kevin Millwood in club history — Eovaldi’s goal is to make 30 starts this season. He’s only done that twice in his career, and shoulder fatigue and a sports hernia limited him to 22 starts in 2025. He was splendid, though, with a 1.73 ERA.

RHP Jacob deGrom: If Eovaldi is the Rangers’ No. 1, deGrom is No. 1a. The two-time National League Cy Young winner made 30 starts in 2025 for the first time since his second Cy season in 2019. The Rangers will continue to monitor his workload, something deGrom is OK with, but he should be better in his second full season after Tommy John surgery.

LHP MacKenzie Gore: The Rangers sent five prospects to the Nationals in January to acquire Gore, a 2025 All-Star. He didn’t have a good second half, and his goal this season is more consistency. That starts with putting hitters away more quickly once he gets to two strikes. The Rangers believe the 27-year-old still has more upside.

RHP Jack Leiter: The second overall pick in the 2021 draft delivered a breakthrough season in 2025, improving along the way, and his goal now is to establish himself as a quality big-league starter. He has the stuff to do it, but, like Gore, needs to be more efficient when ahead of hitters. Quicker outs will help him get deeper into games.

RHP Kumar Rocker: The third overall pick in the 2023 draft won the only rotation competition in spring training by flashing top-end velocity along with a dominant breaking pitch. He also continued to mix in a cutter and is working on a changeup the Rangers believe could help him against lefty hitters. Rocker needs to hone in on the fielding aspect of his position, including holding runners.

Bullpen

Once again, the Rangers bypassed signing a proven closer to lock down games, opting to find affordable arms that fit the team’s philosophy of throwing strikes. The Rangers dialed in last season on matchups, finding “pockets” of hitters that worked for each reliever. Length is a priority early in the season with starters in pitch counts.

LHP Robert Garcia: He is expected to serve as the primary closer a season after experiencing some hiccups when given save opportunities. Garcia says he has learned to have a narrow focus in games and a short memory after bad ones. His three-pitch mix can be effective, but he needs to be ahead in counts.

RHP Chris Martin: The veteran returned for another go-round after an injury-plagued 2025. He was good when healthy, and the Rangers are comfortable using him on back-to-back days. He’s not going to walk many hitters, but he’s also not going to strike out many. Martin will get save opportunities.

RHP Jakob Junis: A former starter with the Royals, Junis has found a second baseball life as a reliever. He spent last season with Cleveland, posting a 2.97 ERA in 66 2/3 innings. His fastball doesn’t light up the radar gun, and his slider is his best pitch. He had a quiet spring, which is generally a good thing.

RHP Cole Winn: Drafted in the first round (2018, 15th overall) with the hopes of being an elite starting pitcher, Winn has found a home in the bullpen. He features four pitches, including a fastball that has topped out at 98 mph. Some with the Rangers believe Winn could emerge as a closer by midseason. This is his first Opening Day roster.

LHP Jalen Beeks: Signed only two weeks ago, Beeks has been one of the busiest lefty relievers in the game the past few seasons. His late arrival led to him making only three appearances in spring training, which could lead to him being only a one-inning reliever early on. He posted a career-best 1.081 WHIP last season for Arizona.

LHP Tyler Alexander: The former Southlake Carroll High and TCU star can pitch in multiple roles, including starting. He throws from different arm slots and has deception in his delivery, and he has continued to refine his slider. Look for him to pitch multiple innings early in the season.

LHP Jacob Latz: He missed out on a rotation spot with a bumpy spring that saw his velocity dip during starts. The Rangers, though, also value his ability to log multiple innings out of the bullpen, which he did effectively last season with a four-pitch mix. The team hasn’t closed the door on him starting this season. He’s on the Opening Day roster for the first time.

RHP Carter Baumler: The Rule 5 pick earned his spot on the Opening Day roster, the first of his career, by posting a 0.00 ERA in spring training behind a fastball-curveball combo that plays against big-league hitters. He lacks experience, having barely pitched above A ball, and he can’t be optioned. He also needs to pitch multiple innings, which he has done in the minors.

Catchers

The Rangers parted ways in the offseason with Jonah Heim, who was once thought to be a long-term solution. They will head into the season with two veterans accomstomed to sharing playing time, and the Rangers are hoping for a 50-50 split in games played. Don’t be surprised if both are in the same lineup, with one at DH against left-handers.

Kyle Higashioka: An achy back this spring limited Higashioka in the middle of camp, but his bat came alive at the end. His strength defensively is in managing the pitching staff, though he can still throw out runners if the pitchers help him by being quick to the plate. He has power, which he showed in the final four months of last season.

Danny Jansen: Teams seem to always want Jansen, including the Rangers on a few separate occasions. They got him shortly after the winter meetings on a two-year deal. He drives the ball offensively, is rated as a very good pitch blocker, and is considered a great teammate. That’s always a requisite for Rangers brass.

Infielders

The infield is filled with upside and hope. Hope isn’t a great strategy. The No. 1 issue the past few seasons for this group has been health. If healthy, the infielders could combine for 100 home runs and be a critical part of the offense’s turnaround after two below-average seasons. One depth piece, Cody Freeman, starts the year on the IL with a back injury.

1b Jake Burger: Injuries and a high chase rate conspired to doom Burger’s first season with the Rangers in 2025. He focused on health in the offseason and showed a better understanding of the strike zone in spring training. The regular season is a different animal, but if Burger isn’t chasing out of the strike zone, he has a chance.

2b Josh Smith: The Rangers have given Smith everyday duty at one position for the first time in his career as the replacement for Marcus Semien. Smith hasn’t played much at second base but looked like a natural there in spring training. He also showed some power and could be in the middle of the lineup against right-handers.

3b Josh Jung: Health is always a concern for Jung, who was slowed in spring training by a strained adductor. The Rangers want him to be a run producer, but he also needs to be more selective at the plate and use all fields. This is an important season for Jung, who could be at a crossroads in his career.

SS Corey Seager: The Rangers’ best hitter had a full, healthy offseason for the first time in a long time, and has a new routine that he believes will keep his legs healthy. If the Rangers can get 500 at-bats from him, he could be an MVP candidate. Don’t sleep on his defense, either. He’s been a Gold Glove finalist in two of the past three seasons.

Util Ezequiel Duran: Another year, another shot for Duran, who has shown an ability to hit as an everyday player but not off the bench. The Rangers saw enough good offensively in spring training that they want to find him semi-regular at-bats. He’s versatile enough defensively to pull that off, and as a right-handed hitter, he could get platoon opportunities.

Outfielders/DH

Expect ample movement, sometimes from game to game, in a group that is filled with upside but will need occasional help against left-handed pitchers. The group includes a former MVP and a potential future one. Health, as always, will play a key role. A big-time rebound season for one hitter would also do wonders.

LF Wyatt Langford: Expectations continue to soar for Langford, who has been labeled a future MVP candidate by his manager. He just wants to raise his average and cut down on his strikeouts. The numbers will take care of themselves in his third season as long as he can avoid the injured list.

CF Evan Carter: Things went so well in spring training for Carter that the Rangers are mulling everyday at-bats for him. He won’t play against all left-handed pitchers, but he showed better at-bats against them this spring. He will be the primary center fielder as long as he can stay healthy, which is always the top concern.

RF Brandon Nimmo: Acquired in the Semien trade with the Mets, Nimmo will play right field after Adolis Garcia was non-tendered. Nimmo will be the Rangers’ leadoff hitter, with the hope that his on-base percentage will return to career norms after two seasons in the middle of the Mets’ lineup. He has some pop, too.

DH Joc Pederson: The biggest question in the lineup is Pederson, who batted .181 last season and only .175 in spring training with one extra-base hit. It came Tuesday, a home run in the Rangers’ final exhibition game of the season. If he continues to struggle, the question becomes just how long the Rangers will wait until they pull the plug.

DH/of Andrew McCutchen: In only two-plus weeks, McCutchen established himself as a must-have for the lineup, especially against left-handed pitching. At 39, the Rangers aren’t going to play him much in the outfield, but they could use him one day in the outfield and the next day at designated hitter. He could become the everyday DH if Pederson flops.

Util Sam Haggerty: A strong camp secured Haggerty’s spot on the bench. He can play all three outfield spots and second base, and the switch-hitter is stronger from the right side. He will also serve as the lone lefty hitter on the bench, and the Rangers saw improvement in his right-handed at-bats.

Jeff Wilson, jwilson@alldlls.com