On September 14, 2026, the Texas Rangers begin the day a game back of the Houston Astros in the American League West, two games back of the Cleveland Guardians in the battle for the third Wild Card spot, and a game behind the Toronto Blue Jays. Texas had played 150 games, and had 12 games left over the final two weeks to determine whether they will make the playoffs. Fangraphs gave the Rangers a 30.3% chance of making the playoffs.
On September 14, 2025, the Texas Rangers ended the day three games
back of the Seattle Mariners in the American League West, and two games back of the Houston Astros for the third Wild Card spot, a half-game up on the Cleveland Guardians for that spot. Texas has played 105 games, and has 12 games left over the final two weeks to determine whether they will make the playoffs. Fangraphs gives the Rangers a 31.3% chance of making the playoffs.
So much has changed. And yet, so much is still the same.
In 2025, the Rangers started the penultimate week of the season with a three game set in Houston, having just taken two of three in New York against the Mets to raise their record to 79-71. It was part of an improbable run after the team had been wracked with injuries and left for dead in mid-August.
In 2026, the Rangers return home for nine straight games at the Shed, beginning with three against the Boston Red Sox, having spent the last month or two generally hovering a game or two under .500.
The 2026 Texas Rangers have a worse record than last year’s version, but unlike the 2025 team, they aren’t running with a patchwork, duct-taped roster. Here’s the starting lineup the Rangers rolled with in their opener in Houston last year:
Smith — SS
Langford — CF
Pederson — DH
Burger — 1B
Garcia — RF
Osuna — LF
Jung — 3B
Heim — C
Moore — 2B
Cody Freeman, Kyle Higashioka, Michael Helman, Rowdy Tellez, and Ezequiel Duran entered the game off the bench. Jack Leiter started, with Jacob Webb and Carl Edwards, Jr. appearing out of the pen.
The Rangers, as you may recall, were swept by the Astros, then were swept at home by the Miami Marlins, pretty much putting a stake into their playoff hopes.
And here we are a year later, with the Rangers back in much the same place, fighting to stay in the playoff hunt, trying to keep their hopes afloat down the home stretch, facing a Boston team that has pretty much clinched a playoff spot, followed by a Toronto team they are battling in the playoff race.
History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes. Hopefully this time around, it results in a better outcome.
