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The Texas Rangers Spots for Competition in Spring Training
Most of the Rangers roster is filled out for 2026, but they have a few competition spots remaining.
Those include second base, the bullpen, and the 5th starter.
Second Base
As mentioned on the last Ranger Report Podcast, Josh Smith is the front runner for the second base position.
Skip Schumaker confirmed it at camp.
“It’s Smitty’s opportunity right now,” Schumaker said on Friday to reporters.
“Like, go get it, take it. Don’t look back. There are other guys who want it, too. There are other guys who are fighting for that spot. We’ll see what happens. But I’m looking for him just to take hold of it and force me to play him every single day.”
Smitty has been good at all the positions he has played for the Rangers, and finally putting him at one position will improve his defense, in my opinion.
There is something about the comfort of knowing where you are going to play every day that seems to help the players, and I believe that Smitty will shine at 2nd base in 2026.
Fifth Starter
If I had to predict at this point, I believe that Jake Latz has the leg up on the fifth starter spot. He showed the Rangers he could do it in the 2025 season.
He talked to the media after his start in the Cactus League.
“I felt good physically,” Latz said.
“I felt like my slider was a little off today, a little bit slower, and had more depth on it. It was kind of trying to hold a different shape with it. But other than that, I felt good physically, and I liked the way that I progressed throughout the outing.”
Bullpen
Latz is being built up as a starter, and Schumaker said they want him to continue developing in that role.
Kumar Rocker is also being built up as a starter, and I would not be surprised if one of the two of them wound up in AAA as a starter.
This will be a fun competition to watch going forward.
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Categorized:News Rangers The Ranger Report