2025 MLB All-Star Game: Building the Best Rangers Lineup

Fox Sports

10-07-2025

The Texas Rangers bring the high heat, especially when you're standing in it.
It took decades for the Rangers, which was the last stop for the Nolan Ryan Express, to become a postseason contender. And like all things in Texas, the bats (and contracts) have always been bigger. After all, this team gave Alex Rodriguez the first ever sports contract that broke the $250 million barrier.
Now in their third stadium in Arlington – this one smartly built with a retractable roof and some air-conditioning – plenty of Rangers have shined big and bright.
Manager: Ron Washington
How hard could winning a World Series be? Ron Washington could certainly tell you the answer. Maybe this will be Bruce Bochy's spot someday, but even though he's the lone Rangers' manager to pilot a World Series champion, Washington spent eight seasons in Texas, managing more games than any other while also leading in wins. It's not as if the Rangers lacked success here, either: Washington was at the helm for the only other two World Series appearances the franchise has had, and his teams posted at least 90 wins four years in a row.
Starting pitcher: Nolan Ryan
The Rangers have no shortage of hitters in their history, as their honorable mentions attest. On the pitching side, things have been different. Charlie Hough is the all-time leader in wins and wins above replacement while Kenny Rogers leads in games, but neither of them dominated in the way that Nolan Ryan did. Even at the end of his career, all after turning 41, Ryan managed to produce the lowest-ever hit rate among Rangers' starters — and two no-hitters — while striking out 939 batters in 840 innings. By ERA+, his Rangers' stint is the best he ever was for any team.
Reliever/closer: John Wetteland
Like with so many former Expos in the 90s, John Wetteland bounced around following his stint in Montreal. He starred with the Yankees for two years before Mariano Rivera grabbed hold of the closer's role, and then headed on down to Texas, where he logged a franchise-high 150 saves in four seasons, passing Jeff Rusell. Wetteland was dominant, too, not just the guy who happened to be at the back of the pen, making two All-Star teams while putting up a 2.95 ERA — and 167 ERA+ — during his run in hitter-friendly Arlington in a hitter-friendly era.
Catcher: Ivan Rodriguez
Ivan Rodriguez spent the first dozen years of his career with Texas. His second season was the start of 10 consecutive All-Star teams nominations and 10 consecutive Gold Gloves. He was also awarded six Silver Sluggers in a row, and won the 1999 AL MVP, too. He's the franchise leader in wins above replacement, owing not just to his bat but his spot as the top defender by WAR in Rangers' history. Rodriguez signed with the Marlins in 2003, helping them to a World Series, then joined the Tigers before adding to his All-Star and Gold Glove totals.
1B: Rafael Palmeiro
Rafael Palmeiro was drafted in 1982 by the Mets, but reentered in 1985 and went 22nd overall to the Cubs. It was an omen for his career, in a way: Palmeiro bounced around quite a bit, albeit to just three teams. The Cubs for three years, then the Rangers from 1989 through 1993, before heading to the Orioles for five seasons, then back to Texas for another five before closing out with two more in Baltimore. Regardless of the where, he hit. Palmeiro was at his best with Texas, however: .290/.378/.519 with 321 of his 544 career homers.
2B: Ian Kinsler
Ian Kinsler was drafted three times: twice by the Diamondbacks, in 2000 (29th round) and 2001 (26th round), then in the 17th by the Rangers in 2003. Despite perpetually being taken late, he arrived in the majors in 2006, and hit .286/.347/.454 as a rookie. He'd spend eight of his 14 years with Texas, batting .273/.349/.454 there while amassing 35 WAR, fifth-best among all Rangers. He added value in some less obvious ways, too: he's second in hit by pitches and steals, and deserved more credit for his glove than he got while with Texas.
3B: Adrian Beltre
Despite arriving while turning 32 and in his 14th season, Beltre was never better than with the Rangers: his greatest campaign came in 2004 with the Dodgers, and his one-year stint with the Red Sox is his second-best, but those were one-offs. Of his 21 years in the bigs, his third- through seventh-best years were with Texas, with just one of them — his final in the majors — anywhere near the bottom. That Beltre hit .304/.357/.509 with 199 of his 477 homers and 1,277 of his 3,166 hits in Texas sealed his Hall of Fame case.
SS: Michael Young
For 10 years, Michael Young was a highly productive shortstop — that's not a short amount of time,, especially not for just one franchise. He hit .307/.353/.454 with 158 home runs, 84 steals and 1,965 of his 2,230 hits during that run, while making seven All-Star teams and winning a Gold Glove. The Rangers reached the World Series twice in that stretch, too, with Young driving in 19 runs and collecting 35 hits in 34 postseason games from 2010-2012. Young played more games than anyone in Rangers' history, and leads the franchise in hits, as well.
OF: Ruben Sierra
Ruben Sierra made multiple trips to Texas in his 20-year career. It's where things began, back in 1986 as a 20-year-old, and it's where he'd end up again in 2000, then again in 2003. Half of his career was played for the Rangers, and it's also the uniform he played his best in: Sierra amassed 1,281 of his 2,152 hits for Texas, batting .280/.323/.473 with 180 home runs and 90 steals. He's sixth in hits and homers in franchise history, fifth in RBIs (742) and extra-base hits (481) behind Ivan Rodriguez and ahead of Adrian Beltre.
OF: Juan Gonzalez
Juan Gonzalez led MLB in homers as a 22-year-old in 1992 with 43, then did it again in 1993 with 46. In '96, he'd hit a career-high 47, and before his career was done, he'd have crossed the 40-dinger mark on two more occasions. All told, he hit 434 homers: they were harder to find after he turned 30, and his career was effectively over at 34, as he had just one plate appearance in 2005 with Cleveland. With Texas alone, however, Gonzalez batted .293/.342/.565 with 373 homers, first in franchise history, and left while first in OPS.
OF: Josh Hamilton
Josh Hamilton's time with Texas was easily his best anywhere: he not only spent the most time there (six years), but showed off all of the potential he'd displayed as an amateur and prospect, as well. Hamilton led the majors in batting average, slugging and OPS in 2010, earning him AL MVP honors. Two years later, he'd hit a career-high 43 home runs, and made five consecutive All-Star squads. Across his six seasons with the Rangers, the outfielder hit .302/.359/.542 with 150 of his 200 home runs. He ranks third in Texas in both slugging and OPS.
DH: Frank Howard
Frank Howard did play in Texas, but only briefly: he was purchased by the Tigers late in 1972, the team's first year as the Rangers, ending his time with the franchise. Before then, the bespectacled Howard was a 6-foot-7 slugger who weighed somewhere between 275 and 295 pounds, plying his trade in Washington on the Senators: the intimidating Ohio native joined the organization in just their fifth year of existence when the Dodgers traded him, and thrived. In eight years, Howard went deep 246 times, third-most among Rangers, and posted a 153 OPS+ that ranks second all-time in franchise history.
Honorable mention Charlie Hough (starting pitcher)
Fergie Jenkins (starting pitcher)
CJ Wilson (starting pitcher)
Kenny Rogers (starting pitcher)
Neftali Feliz (reliever/closer)
Jeff Russell (reliever/closer)
Joe Nathan (reliever/closer)
Will Clark (1B)
Buddy Bell (3B)
Alex Rodriguez (SS)
Elvis Andrus (SS)
Toby Harrah (SS)
Rusty Greer (OF)
Frank Howard (OF)
Nelson Cruz (OF)
Gary Matthews (OF)
Oddibe McDowell (OF)
Mickey Rivers (OF)
David Segui (DH)
Mark Teixeira (DH)
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