The Rangers returned home for the 2026 season on Friday. Unfortunately, it was the 2025 Rangers. The Rangers who cannot hit. The Rangers who have no reliable bullpen.

Texas suffered its first shutout of the young season yesterday when they subjected their fans to nine innings of offensive futility. After Kumar Rocker gave up two sloppy-defense-aided runs in the first, the game turned into a soccer match. A snoozefest in which the Rangers had a runner in scoring position just twice, in the first and ninth, and failed to anything with either opportunity, 

It was like watching the 2024 and 2025 Rangers all over again. 

Right now, this team has a huge hole in the lineup. The heart of their lineup is killing them. The five- six- and seven-holes are just that—black holes where innings go to die.

Joc Pederson doesn’t have a hit yet. Josh Smith is hitting .125 and Josh Jung .143. They are rally enders. Langford in the two-hole hasn’t gotten going either. 

As good as Nimmo, Seager, Burger, and Carter have been, they’re being forced to carry the offense. It’s too much to ask. And too hard to naviate the other dead zones. 

How long is the leash the Rangers give Pederson before they just finally sit him in favor of Andrew McCutchen who, at least, bring energy and hope to every at-bat? Pederson coming to the plate is like a death march. RIP rally. 

The Rangers try to salvage a game in their series against the Reds today, to avoid getting swept. 

The Rangers need to get out a broom of their own and clear out the cobwebs in their lineup once and for all. 

Because 2025 was not worth repeating in 2026.

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