Rangers’ sequel season was a bust

By David Mullen

The 2025 Texas Rangers was supposed to recapture the magic of the 2023 Rangers, who became the surprise blockbuster hit of the postseason. The sequel was due for release this year. 

In his first year in the Texas dugout, veteran manager Bruce Bochy cemented his place in Baseball’s Hall of Fame by directing the team to improbable victories, which ultimately led to hoisting the World Series trophy. For Bochy, it was the fourth time he directed a World Series winner, having won three titles as manager of the San Francisco Giants. 

The team fought through an injury-riddled 2024 season, but Bochy and Rangers president and GM Chris Young seemed to have the right script for success in 2025. Many of the stars from the 2023 World Championship team where returning. Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, signed together to be a dynamic duo, were back. Adolis Garcia was expected to find his power stroke.

Targeted for comeback years were Jonah Heim, Josh Jung and Evan Carter. Twenty-three-year-old outfielder Wyatt Langford was ready to hit it big. The Rangers improved their bench by adding veteran 1B/OF Jake Burger, DH Joc Pederson and catcher Kyle Higashioka. 

The starting pitching staff, as originally imagined, was coming together. Jacob deGrom was healthy, joining Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, fully rehabbed starter Tyler Mahle and youngsters Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker. A freshly stocked bullpen would work itself out. 

But early on, Gray and Rocker were sidelined. Later, Eovaldi was injured and Mahle was healthy enough to make just 16 appearances. The bullpen is still a committee. Three pitchers tied for the saves lead with nine. 

Ten pitchers recorded at least one save. Despite the obstacles, the Rangers pitching staff led MLB with a 3.47 ERA.

Seager played in just 102 games. Semien, who has led the AL four times in games played, missed 36 games. Garcia fizzled out again. He has now gone from 39 to 25 to 19 home runs over the last three seasons. Jung was sent down to the minors during the regular season. Carter is facing career threatening injuries. Pederson was a bust, hitting .181. 

The Rangers hit 175 HRs this season, ranking 18th of 30 MLB teams. They were dead last in HRs in the AL West, 61 homers behind the division champion Seattle Mariners. 

Although there were certain spikes during the season, the Rangers were 16-16 on May 1, 29-31 on June 1, 42-40 on July 1, 57-54 on August 1 and 72-67 on September 1. The team never made fans believe that this was a championship caliber squad. The 2025 sequel — while not totally a flop — never really found its way.

There were very few memorable moments. The final regular season record of 81-81 seems fitting. It was a so-so season. 

The Rangers were rarely spectacular and were often just average. It’s as if the sequel had an excellent plotline but didn’t deliver on firepower. The story was compelling for a while, but the big finish never materialized. 

The sequel was supposed to play out like “The Godfather Part II.” Instead, it felt more like “Lethal Weapon 2” without the ammunition. The team released Bochy on September 29 after three seasons. 

While the Rangers had an astonishingly average year, MLB overall had a lot to boast about. The pitch clock has been a remarkable success. Nine-inning games in 2025 averaged two hours, 38 minutes in length, which is manageable for even the most impatient sports fan. There were three nine-inning games that lasted more than three hours, 30 minutes. In 2021, there were 391.

MLB attendance eclipsed 71 million fans, marking the third straight year of ticket sales increases. It is the first time in 20 years that MLB has had three consecutive years with increased attendance. The Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed more than 4 million fans to Chavez Ravine for the very first time. 

The TV networks that partner with MLB saw major viewership increases. ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” viewership was up 21 percent. Both Fox and TBS saw spikes in their baseball coverage, with TBS up 29 percent.

Star power puts butts in seats and rumps in recliners. Seattle’s Cal Raleigh hit 60 HRs, a record number for a catcher and a switch hitter, besting Mickey Mantle. Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber hit 56 HRs and the Yankee’s Aaron Judge hit 53. 

Dodgers’ two-way player Shohei Ohtani hit 55 HRs and had a 2.87 ERA. While the rest of MLB was hitting homeruns in droves, the Rangers power numbers were anemic.  

The Milwaukee Brewers were the surprise team of the NL, with the division rival Chicago Cubs close behind. The New York Mets and their $340 million payroll failed to even reach the postseason despite leading the division in August. The Detroit Tigers saw a double-digit lead in the AL Central evaporate due to a pressurized late season push by the division winning Cleveland Guardians.

Once rarified air, seven players in MLB reached the 30 HR and 30 steals club in 2025. Only two Rangers (Langford and Seager) hit more than 20 HRs. Langford led Texas with 22 steals. 

The Athletics will go one-two in the Rookie of the Year voting, with Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson recording monster seasons. The Rangers best minor league prospect, SS/3B Sebastian Walcott, will have to find a position to play barring major change to the core lineup.

Out of 5 stars, the Rangers rated a 2.5, which is a fitting grade for most sequels. The Rangers hope to rewrite the script for 2026 by finding a bonafide leadoff hitter, adding more speed, increasing power and gaining bullpen stability. Next season, the new Rangers will be produced by Young and his soon-to-be named field director. Fans hope it’s not another sequel.