Hoping this finds you well and in good spirits. Why not, right? I mean, it\u2019s spring training<\/a>. Hope springs eternal and all that. Everyone\u2019s still in a good mood, anyway. Everyone except Angels fans. Did you see where Arte Moreno said \u201cwinning\u201d doesn\u2019t even rank among his fans\u2019 top five priorities? Crazy. He might be right, though. Their first four priorities are a new owner. The other is freezing Mike Trout until they\u2019re good again.<\/p>\n From everything Evan Grant<\/a> and Shawn McFarland<\/a> tell us, it\u2019s going OK so far in your dirty neck of the desert. No one\u2019s even gotten hurt yet. Practically a miracle with this bunch. Between your Rangers and the Mavs<\/a>, it\u2019s like watching \u201cChicago Med\u201d every night.<\/p>\n Now that I think about it, I forgot about Sebastian Walcott. Five to six months<\/a>? Bummer. I was really looking forward to seeing the kid play this spring. Everybody was.<\/p>\n Maybe not Josh Jung.<\/p>\n Speaking of which, it\u2019s nice to see your third baseman off to a good start<\/a>. Hitting the ball hard. Better than watching him whale away at pitches up and in. If he insists on that, he should get a bigger bat.<\/p>\n Or a paddle.<\/p>\n Texas Rangers infielder Sebastian Walcott (right) and third baseman Josh Jung participate in a fielding drill during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Surprise, Ariz.<\/p>\n Smiley N. Pool \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n Seems like this should be a make-or-break year for Jung. Been three years since he was an All-Star. Considering where Kip Fagg drafted him, you\u2019d think he\u2019d be in a better place by now. I\u2019m sure Kip prayed as much.<\/p>\n Of course, Jonah Heim was an All-Star in \u201823, too, and he was lucky to sign with the Braves<\/a>. Did you see where Walt Weiss called it \u201cgreat\u201d to get \u201ca guy with a winning pedigree\u201d? Yeah, sure. Wait until the first pitch he misses and gets that look like someone just stole his lunch money.<\/p>\n Jonah\u2019s a good guy, and I wish him the best, but he was sort of the poster boy for everything that\u2019s gone wrong since the World Series, don\u2019t you think? I mean, he was great, and then he was awful. He looked like he couldn\u2019t have told what a pitcher was throwing if Carlos Beltran was banging a trash can at him.<\/p>\n Maybe the worst part, Chris, was that no one seemed too upset about the slide off of the parade truck. Except you, of course. Bruce Bochy said it\u2019d been a long time since he\u2019d turned over a table, and it didn\u2019t go over well when he did. Maybe so. Just the same, you gotta do something.<\/p>\n Besides sending Jung down, I mean.<\/p>\n Not that I blame Bochy for any of this. I think you know my position on a Hall of Fame manager. In fact, I plan on visiting with him when I come out next week. Don\u2019t worry, I don\u2019t think he\u2019s going to say anything bad.<\/p>\n Then again, you never know.<\/p>\n By all accounts, the new guy is doing a bang-up job on the culture<\/a>, a subject that\u2019s suddenly the rage across baseball. And here I thought the Rangers\u2019 problem was that no one could hit.<\/p>\n Did you read that story in The Athletic about Brandon Nimmo? The part where the writer took a poll of anonymous Mets who said he tried too hard to lead? Shouldn\u2019t be a problem in your clubhouse, where hardly anyone\u2019s tried at all.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s hoping Nimmo\u2019s enthusiasm rubs off on his new teammates. Looks like he\u2019s already had an influence on Corey Seager<\/a>. Loved it when your shortstop, who\u2019s as fun as a funeral director, drew a walk the other day and broke into a dead sprint for first. Just like Nimmo. Funny stuff.<\/p>\n Texas Rangers outfielder Brandon Nimmo (left) laughs with infielder Joc Pederson during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Surprise, Ariz.<\/p>\n Smiley N. Pool \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n And the best part was he didn\u2019t pull a hammy, am I right?<\/p>\n BTW: Congrats again on getting Nimmo for Marcus Semien. Seems to be a sentiment out there that the Mets got the better end of the deal, but I don\u2019t know. Semien still plays a mean second base, but it doesn\u2019t really matter if he can\u2019t hit anymore.<\/p>\n Same with Joc Pederson. At least the hitting part, because he\u2019s not doing anything else. He was supposed to be good for the clubhouse last year. But you\u2019re only funny if you can play<\/a>. Kevin Hart would get some laughs if you gave him an at-bat. But not if you gave him four.<\/p>\n The real problem with your clubhouse, Chris, is you\u2019ve got too many potential candidates for Comeback Player of the Year.<\/p>\n The good news is, if the rotation stays healthy, it just might be championship caliber. MacKenzie Gore was another good add. The bullpen is always a work in progress, but it\u2019s clear you know pitching. For most of your predecessors, pitching was like reading hieroglyphics.<\/p>\n Look forward to seeing you next week. I\u2019d like to get to know Skip Schumaker better. Seems like a good guy. Loved that he had his players watch the men\u2019s gold medal hockey game together<\/a>. Hope it gave them some ideas.<\/p>\n Just one thing: If you buck the odds and win another World Series this year, promise me that you won\u2019t let the FBI director into the clubhouse. At least keep him out of the liquor cabinet.<\/p>\n Twitter\/X: @KSherringtonDMN<\/a><\/p>\n Wyatt welcome: See photos as Wyatt Langford makes 2026 spring training debut for Rangers<\/p>\n Pineda is the nephew of a former big league pitcher and was the No. 47 prospect in his class per MLB Pipeline.<\/p>\n Seager had another stellar season in 2025 \u2014 when he was actually on the field.<\/p>\n Find more Rangers coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2U4L4H5PGJEJPGJCFHL2RMMA4U.jpg\")
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<\/a>Texas Rangers top 30 prospects: No. 28 Frandel Pineda has good genes and a projectable frame<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Texas](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1772027956_926_X2FWRPTHGZGURG75QMMEXGW7RA.jpg\")
<\/a>Rangers\u2019 Corey Seager ranks among MLB\u2019s best on ESPN list of top 10 shortstops in baseball<\/a><\/p>\n