In previous seasons, the designated hitter position hasn’t been a role of great offensive production for the Texas Rangers.
Last season, the Rangers ranked 17th in all of baseball in DH win probability added at 1.15 and 23rd in MLB with a plus win probability added of just 14.48.
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Beyond seeking more production from the role, first-year Rangers manager Skip Schumaker has his eyes on the DH position, being one where he can plug in regulars for partial breaks.
“I want our DH not to be a rotation or anything, but I do feel value in having some guys getting that DH position to get a half day off,” Schumaker said.
Most notably, that means Joc Pederson, who served as the DH in nearly every game he started in 2025, will almost certainly see more time at first base this season.
Additionally, in the event that Andrew McCutchen winds up making the team, then he will have to play in the outfield, something he didn’t do a lot of last season.
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For Schumaker, the player who can only DH is something that isn’t prevalent in today’s game, so his players will have to prove their value defensively if they want to be in the lineup constantly.
“I don’t think there are many [straight up] DH’s in the game anymore,” Schumaker said. “I think there are a lot of guys that can still play [in the field] to give guys that DH day, which is needed, so they can get a mental break on the defensive side and save their legs, so like I said, I think there’s value in guys playing not only the DH position but somewhere on the defensive side.”
There’s no doubt that staying healthy will be a key for the Rangers in 2026, as it is for most teams. So, if Texas can use the DH role to keep key players who have injury histories, such as Corey Seager and Evan Carter, on the field, then it will certainly be a huge benefit.
An offensive bounce back will be key for the Rangers to return to the postseason for the first time since winning it all in 2023.
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In 2025, the Rangers were relying on bounce-back seasons from core players in order to fuel the offense, but those never came, and Texas finished at 81-81 because of it.
Now in 2026, the Rangers will look to some fresh offensive faces and several key returners to supercharge an offense that can support their strong pitching staff.
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