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Coming into the 2026 season, the Texas Rangers knew they would have to be at their best. The Seattle Mariners didn't lose much over the offseason, neither did the Athletics, and you can never count out the Houston Astros.
Seattle has started the season well, and so have the A's, but the Rangers have stumbled a bit. They hold a 25-30 record, which puts them third in the AL West and two games behind the first-place Mariners.
A stagnant offense at times has not helped this club out at all. And neither has their weird home/road splits, where they seem to barrel up balls more often on the road than they do at home.
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On top of the home/road splits, the Rangers have struggled to make things happen with runners in scoring position. They are striking out at a 25 percent clip and aren't drawing nearly any walks in high-leverage situations.
Not everyone is struggling, though. Brandon Nimmo, whom the club traded for during the offseason, is doing well, and Josh Jung and Jake Burger have stepped it up this season.
But one player who could really help turn the season around if he got it going offensively is Evan Carter. Carter is who Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer tags as the team's least valuable player.
"Carter is actually second to Nimmo among Rangers hitters in rWAR, so he's clearly doing something (hint: playing defense) right. But he's also batting .163 with an OBP in the .200s and a slugging percentage in the low .300s, so let's not pretend like he's been a joy to watch."
Carter has not been making consistent hard contact this season, and his average exit velocity has dipped this season. Maybe his back is still bothering him, or the wrist injury he sustained last season. Either way, the Rangers need him to bounce back if they want to climb up the division leaderboard.
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