Texas Rangers: lineup and rotation patterns
What 2023–2025 Retrosheet data tells us about how the Texas Rangers set their lineups and used their pitchers.
A record of past seasons, not a forecast: 2027 projections will be added once rosters take shape. About these team pages.
Our read on the Texas Rangers
Texas's lineup followed the opposing starter's hand closely in 2025. Against right-handers the Rangers started 3.44 left-handed hitters per game, against left-handers 1.0. Joc Pederson started 64% of games against right-handed starters and none against left-handers, Josh Smith 91% against 39%, and Ezequiel Duran the reverse (71% against left-handers, 19% against right-handers).
Smith was also the most frequent leadoff hitter (88 games), but the same hitter led off consecutive games only 60% of the time. The DH spot was spread across 16 players, with Pederson the most frequent (76 starts), and 28 players started at least one game as a batter. Jacob deGrom and Patrick Corbin made 30 starts each and Jack Leiter 29; Jonah Heim made the most starts at catcher (91).
Where the Texas Rangers ranked in 2025
| Texas Rangers | Avg | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 81 | 81.0 | T-16 |
| Different batting orders | 145 | 135.9 | T-11 |
| Same order as previous game | 7.5% | 4.8% | 9 |
| Most uses of one order | 3 | 4.8 | T-21 |
| Same leadoff as previous game | 60% | 75% | 25 |
| Players in the lineup | 28 | 24.4 | 5 |
| Games vs LHP | 41 | 42.6 | 21 |
| Lefty hitters vs RHP | 3.4 | 3.6 | 21 |
| Lefty hitters vs LHP | 1.0 | 2.0 | 26 |
| Starting pitchers | 10 | 13.2 | T-22 |
| Top-five starters' share | 78% | 76% | T-12 |
| Starts on 4 days' rest or less* | 33% | 31% | 12 |
| Starts after 10+ days* | 6% | 5% | 12 |
| Primary catcher's starts | 56% | 58% | 17 |
| Players at DH | 16 | 10.7 | 4 |
| Top DH's share | 47% | 51% | 16 |
Three seasons at a glance
| Season | W–L | Games vs RHP / LHP starters | Different batting orders | Different players in the starting lineup | Starting pitchers used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 90–72 | 118 / 44 | 114 | 20 | 10 |
| 2024 | 78–84 | 122 / 40 | 127 | 24 | 15 |
| 2025 | 81–81 | 121 / 41 | 145 | 28 | 10 |
Who played where, 2023–2025
| Position | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Jonah Heim (116) | Jonah Heim (110) | Jonah Heim (91) |
| 1B | Nathaniel Lowe (161) | Nathaniel Lowe (135) | Jake Burger (86) |
| 2B | Marcus Semien (162) | Marcus Semien (159) | Marcus Semien (127) |
| 3B | Josh Jung (120) | Josh Smith (76) | Josh Jung (122) |
| SS | Corey Seager (112) | Corey Seager (113) | Corey Seager (97) |
| LF | Travis Jankowski (49) | Wyatt Langford (95) | Wyatt Langford (97) |
| CF | Leody Taveras (138) | Leody Taveras (138) | Evan Carter (51) |
| RF | Adolis Garcia (130) | Adolis Garcia (130) | Adolis Garcia (127) |
| DH | Mitch Garver (55) | Wyatt Langford (25) | Joc Pederson (76) |
Month by month in 2025
| Month | Games | W–L | Games vs LHP | Different batting orders | Starting pitchers used | First start of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | 31 | 16–15 | 8 | 25 | 6 | – |
| May | 28 | 12–16 | 7 | 24 | 5 | 5: Alejandro Osuna, Blaine Crim, Evan Carter and others |
| June | 26 | 13–13 | 5 | 24 | 8 | Justin Foscue, Michael Helman |
| July | 25 | 16–9 | 7 | 22 | 6 | Billy McKinney, Cody Freeman, Rowdy Tellez |
| August | 28 | 14–14 | 9 | 27 | 7 | Dylan Moore |
| September | 24 | 10–14 | 5 | 23 | 6 | Donovan Solano |
Batting order and positions in 2025
Most starts by batting slot: 1. Josh Smith (88); 2. Wyatt Langford (74); 3. Marcus Semien (43); 4. Adolis Garcia (76); 5. Marcus Semien (29); 6. Josh Jung (28); 7. Josh Jung (25); 8. Jonah Heim (36); 9. Ezequiel Duran (29).
| Position | Next most starts (leader: see above) | Players who started there | Starter changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Kyle Higashioka (68) | 3 | 73% |
| 1B | Rowdy Tellez (31) | 8 | 40% |
| 2B | Cody Freeman (20) | 6 | 14% |
| 3B | Josh Smith (28) | 4 | 17% |
| SS | Josh Smith (46) | 5 | 24% |
| LF | Alejandro Osuna (30) | 9 | 37% |
| CF | Wyatt Langford (36) | 9 | 42% |
| RF | Alejandro Osuna (12) | 10 | 19% |
| DH | Jonah Heim (20) | 16 | 61% |
Against left- and right-handed starters
| Opposing starter | Left-handed | Right-handed | Switch-hitters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-handed | 3.4 | 4.6 | 0.9 |
| Left-handed | 1.0 | 6.6 | 1.4 |
| Player | Bats | Start rate vs RHP (starts) | Start rate vs LHP (starts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joc Pederson | left-handed | 64% (78) | 0% (0) |
| Josh Smith | left-handed | 91% (110) | 39% (16) |
| Ezequiel Duran | right-handed | 19% (23) | 71% (29) |
| Evan Carter | left-handed | 41% (50) | 2% (1) |
| Alejandro Osuna | left-handed | 40% (48) | 2% (1) |
| Kyle Higashioka | right-handed | 44% (53) | 76% (31) |
Gaps may reflect timing, not a platoon (guide).
Rotation and rest in 2025
| Pitcher | Throws | Starts | First start | Last start | Median days of rest | Starts on 4 days or fewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob deGrom | RHP | 30 | March 30, 2025 | Sept. 24, 2025 | 5 | 7 |
| Patrick Corbin | LHP | 30 | April 8, 2025 | Sept. 28, 2025 | 5 | 10 |
| Jack Leiter | RHP | 29 | March 28, 2025 | Sept. 26, 2025 | 5 | 11 |
| Nathan Eovaldi | RHP | 22 | March 27, 2025 | Aug. 22, 2025 | 5 | 9 |
| Tyler Mahle | RHP | 16 | March 29, 2025 | Sept. 25, 2025 | 5 | 6 |
| Kumar Rocker | RHP | 14 | March 31, 2025 | July 31, 2025 | 5 | 3 |
| Merrill Kelly | RHP | 10 | Aug. 2, 2025 | Sept. 21, 2025 | 5 | 4 |
| Jake Latz | LHP | 8 | June 8, 2025 | Sept. 27, 2025 | 5 | 0 |
| Rest before start | Texas Rangers | League average |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days or fewer | 33% | 31% |
| 5 days | 50% | 49% |
| 6 to 10 days | 11% | 15% |
| More than 10 days | 6% | 5% |
Catcher and DH in 2025
| Games | Team-games | Primary catcher started | League average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 162 | 56% | 58% |
| Day game after a night game | 38 | 47% | 44% |
| All other games | 124 | 59% | – |
| Player | DH starts | Share of DH starts |
|---|---|---|
| Joc Pederson | 76 | 47% |
| Jonah Heim | 20 | 12% |
| Kyle Higashioka | 16 | 10% |
Most common lineups in 2025
The most common exact batting order was used only 3 times (club average 4.8).
Lineup 1 (3 times, last on April 6, 2025): 1. Marcus Semien 2B, 2. Corey Seager SS, 3. Wyatt Langford LF, 4. Joc Pederson DH, 5. Adolis Garcia RF, 6. Jake Burger 1B, 7. Josh Smith 3B, 8. Jonah Heim C, 9. Leody Taveras CF.
Lineup 2 (3 times, last on April 5, 2025): 1. Marcus Semien 2B, 2. Corey Seager SS, 3. Wyatt Langford LF, 4. Joc Pederson DH, 5. Adolis Garcia RF, 6. Jake Burger 1B, 7. Josh Smith 3B, 8. Kyle Higashioka C, 9. Leody Taveras CF.
Lineup 3 (3 times, last on May 10, 2025): 1. Josh Smith 1B, 2. Wyatt Langford LF, 3. Corey Seager SS, 4. Joc Pederson DH, 5. Marcus Semien 2B, 6. Adolis Garcia RF, 7. Evan Carter CF, 8. Jonah Heim C, 9. Josh Jung 3B.
Top nine vs RHP (5/121): Adolis Garcia, Corey Seager, Evan Carter, Joc Pederson, Jonah Heim, Josh Jung, Josh Smith, Marcus Semien, Wyatt Langford.
Top nine vs LHP (3/41): Adolis Garcia, Ezequiel Duran, Jake Burger, Jonah Heim, Josh Jung, Kyle Higashioka, Marcus Semien, Sam Haggerty, Wyatt Langford.
Our own calculations from Retrosheet game logs, regular seasons only: notes, methodology.