SURPRISE, Ariz. — The first 10 days of spring training for the Rangers have been about staying healthy and establishing culture.
And if you limit “health” to only the expected major league roster, things have gone swimmingly on both fronts. We will just not mention Sebastian Walcott’s elbow surgery here. Oops. Anyway, no muscle strains early and lots of good vibes under new manager Skip Schumaker and his newly-empowered coaches.
Now on to the evaluation process.
With games starting Friday — Nathan Eovaldi will pitch two innings against Kansas City in a 2:05 CT start — it’s time to get down to business about finishing out a roster that surprisingly has more questions on the area that was a strength in 2025 (pitching) than the one that was a glaring weakness (position players). There is a key rotation issue to be settled that could have a ripple effect into the bullpen. There are multiple roles and jobs to be won in the bullpen, which may hinge on how that rotation competition plays out. And there are a couple of fringe spots on the bench. So, how will Schumaker approach all this?
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“I think there’s position battles,” he said. “I think there’s starting position battles. And then what does that look like on the bench to properly construct a roster, because you want to have real options coming off the bench. I think that’s the same thing with the rotation. It’s going to dictate what the bullpen looks like. …You are trying to find what best compliments the overall roster construction.”
We, at Roster Central, don’t have time to let all that play out. So here’s our projected opening day roster, along with what must be considered and what might just turn some of those decisions on end:
Starting rotation (5): RHP Jacob deGrom, RHP Nathan Eovaldi, LHP MacKenzie Gore, RHP Jack Leiter, RHP Kumar Rocker
What must be decided: The No. 5 starter. The Rangers would like Kumar Rocker to win the job. He was the third pick in the draft, representing a big investment and a gamble. But [Jacob] Latz was impressive in eight starts last year and has made it clear he would like to win the job. But the probability is he must knock Rocker out, not merely pitch a bit better. The team shapes up better if Rocker is an adequate No. 5 starter and Latz can pitch in high leverage situations out of the bullpens. It potentially solves two issues with one decision.
Worth watching: Rocker’s changeup. He needs a third pitch and has already said he’s determined to “own it, not rent it.” But he’s got to show confidence in the pitch, which he failed to do last year. An affective changeup will give him something with which to compete against lefties and give him the opportunity to change right-handers’ eye level on occasion.
Potential X-factor: Even if Latz outpitches Rocker, there is still the chance he could end up in the bullpen. Cal Quantrill, a one-time 15-game winner, is in camp on a non-roster deal and could compete for the fifth spot — if the Rangers become fixated on the need for Latz’s versatility in the bullpen. Also Patrick Corbin is still out there in free agency and it worked out pretty well for both he and the Rangers last year to sign a minimal deal with performance bonuses.
Bullpen (8): RHP Chris Martin, LHP Robert Garcia, LHP Jacob Latz, RHP Jakob Junis, RHP Cole Winn, LHP Tyler Alexander, RHP Carter Baumler, RHP Alexis Diaz
What must be decided: At least three roster spots and more roles than that. Martin and Garcia are the leading candidates to close, but neither is certain. Latz could end up closing if he’s in the bullpen. Baumler must remain on the roster or be offered back to Baltimore. There is a lot to juggle here. There almost always is.
Worth watching:
Potential X-factor: Non-roster righty Gavin Collyer, throwing 97-99 mph, has been the early talk of camp. He’s also got a nasty swing-and-miss slider and a tight little cutter. Everything you’d love from a high leverage arm. But he’s got to throw consistent strikes, something that has been an issue in his minor league career.
Catchers (2): C Kyle Higashioka, C Danny Jansen
What must be decided: Whether the Rangers are comfortable using one of these guys as a part-time DH from the right side, which might provide a little more flexibility to bench construction. But workload management will be key with these guys.
Worth watching: Can enthusiastic Willie MacIver make enough of an impression for the Rangers to consider carrying a third catcher? It doesn’t seem realistic with the lack of flexibility elsewhere unless one of Higashioka/Jansen figures more into the DH conversation.
Potential X-factor: Injuries are a concern with catchers always, but even more so with a pair of guys in their 30s. And beyond MacIver is only Jose Herrera, with a career .539 OPS. The Rangers would probably need to search for additional depth.
Infielders/DH (6): 1B Jake Burger, 2B Josh Smith, SS Corey Seager, 3B Josh Jung, DH-1B Joc Pederson, UTL Ezequiel Duran
What must be decided: Is Smith the everyday second baseman or part of a platoon? While the Rangers say there is competition at the position, it really feels like the job is primarily Smith’s to start the season. Just a matter of whether he plays every day or sits against lefties.
Worth watching: The Rangers want to find a way to get Cody Freeman — and his boundless energy — onto this roster. He probably can’t beat Duran for a spot on the roster because Duran has the added versatility of being able to play short, but if Freeman has a strong spring and Josh Jung doesn’t, it could lead to some interesting discussions.
X-factor: Veteran non-roster utility player Tyler Wade has started 67 games at short in his career, so he could be the biggest challenger to potentially unseating Duran, who still has a minor league option remaining. But as poor as Duran has performed over the last two years (a .587 OPS), Wade (.541) has been worse. He’d have to show a lot.
Outfielders (5): LF Wyatt Langford, CF Evan Carter, RF Brandon Nimmo, UTL Sam Haggerty, OF-DH Mark Canha
What must be decided: Does Canha, 37 and coming off a poor season, have anything left to give the Rangers as right-handed occasional DH and pinch-hitting threat against lefties?
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Worth watching: President of Baseball Operations Chris Young has said he’d “love to see” Carter be the everyday center fielder. Health has precluded that in the past. But so have his numbers against lefties. Carter will get lots of opportunities against lefties this spring to get a better sense of the progress he’s made. If he hasn’t made progress, then the Rangers may more strongly consider moving him to a corner for the regular season since he’d be in more of a platoon; that would move Langford to center. Carter had a rough 2025 spring and ended up in the minors to start the year. While spring results aren’t that big a factor, he must be more competitive against lefties.
Potential X-factors: Last spring, Alejandro Osuna made an impression on everybody in the organization and scouts from others, as well, for his energetic play and his solid approach. It helped vault him into position to get looks during the major league season. Currently, there doesn’t seem to be a natural fit for Osuna on the opening day roster. But with energy and culture being an emphasis, his style of play might just force the Rangers to more strongly consider him.
Rangers’ Evan Carter bringing new approach to staying healthy for 2026 seasonGavin Collyer has heavily impressed at Rangers camp, but still has hurdles to make roster
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