After taking over for Bruce Bochy, new Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker went to work on putting together his staff.
He spent most of October talking to players, current coaches and potential future coaches. By the time he spoke to reporters on Thursday, he said he had spoken to nearly after member of the 40-man roster. As he spoke to the pitchers — both the youngsters and the veterans — one name kept coming up to replace Mike Maddux. It was a familiar one to the Rangers — Jordan Tiegs.
The theme of those conversations with the pitchers? “We have to keep this guy.”
“It’s about what the player needs and wants and how they want to get better and who do they think can help them get better,” Schumaker said. “I’m telling you his name was the one that was brought up [repeatedly].”
Promoting Jordan Tiegs
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Maddux is one of the best pitching coaches of the last 25 years. He started his career with Milwaukee in 2003 and joined the Rangers for the first time in 2009. He helped guide a pitching staff that went to the 2010 and 2011 World Series. After he parted ways with the Rangers in 2015, he worked for the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals until he re-joined Texas in 2023. He helped that staff lead the Rangers to a World Series victory.
In 2025, his staff had the best ERA in baseball, while his starting rotation and bullpen were in the Top 5 in the category. Those are the shoes Tiegs is stepping into.
Schumaker took his time. He admitted he was around the team five days every month as a special assistant to president of baseball operations Chris Young. He had gotten to know Tiegs during that time but wanted to make sure the move was right. Endorsements from players helped. So did knowing there were other teams interested in luring him away.
“I know a lot of people don’t know who he,” Schumaker said. The baseball industry, as far as the coaches and front offices, absolutely know who this guy is and our players were really impacted in a positive way.”
Tiegs, 38, played Division II baseball as a pitcher, briefly played pro baseball in the Frontier League and then started a coaching career that took him from the University of Indianapolis, then Indiana State and then the Rangers in the minor leagues in 2019. He joined the Major League staff in 2025 as the bullpen coach.
Schumaker played a decade in the Majors and won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011, one at the expense of his current employer. He moved into coaching in 2018 with the San Diego Padres. He was there four seasons before he joined the Cardinals’ coaching staff in 2022.
A year later he took over as manager of the Marlins, where he led them to the playoffs in his first season. He and Miami parted ways after the 2024 season and he had a record of 146-176.
The rest of Schumaker’s staff includes bench coach Luis Urueta, lead hitting coach Justin Viele, Major League hitting coach Alex Cintrón, first base coach Travis Jankowski, third base coach Corey Ragsdale, quality control coach Rod Barajas, catching coach Brett Hayes, assistant pitching coach Dave Bush and bullpen coach Colby Suggs. The Rangers are still looking for an additional Major League coach.
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