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Change in Offensive Philosophy Could Get Rangers Back on Much-Needed Track

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI | By Brad Wakai | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 3:00 PM ET

Bruce Bochy is out and Skip Schumaker is in when it comes to managing the Texas Rangers.

On paper, that seems like a downgrade. After all, Bochy is going to be a surefire Hall of Famer when that time comes as one of the winningest skippers in Major League Baseball history with four World Series championships to boot.

However, what transpired for the Rangers the past two seasons after they won the franchise's first-ever World Series in 2023 was shocking. And it ultimately led to the two sides parting ways this winter as everyone in Texas tries to figure out how to get this talented roster back into the playoffs.

Schumaker has been tabbed as the guy to lead the charge, and, on paper, that is a complete 180-degree turn compared to what they had in Bochy. Schumaker is 45 years old. Bochy is 70. Schumaker has two seasons of managerial experience under his belt. Bochy has 28. Schumaker has zero playoff wins. Bochy has four rings.

But what Schumaker does have is a hitting philosophy he utilized when he was managing the Miami Marlins that could get this Rangers offense back on track in a major way.

How Skip Schumaker's Offensive Approach Should Help Rangers

Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) did a fantastic job of looking into how the Marlins operated under Schumaker and how that could translate to the Rangers for the upcoming season.

The first thing he highlighted was the contact-heavy approach that took place in Miami, with them focusing more on putting the ball into play than just trying to hit everything over the fence.

"Their teamwide .259 batting average ranked fourth in the league. Their .405 slugging percentage was below average. They had the lowest fly ball percentage (33.6%), the highest groundball percentage (46.2%), a batting average on balls in play (.303) that ranked sixth best and still hit the ball harder than two thirds of the league," McFarland wrote about the 2023 Marlins team.

Considering the lack of star players on that roster compared to what Texas has on theirs, one can only assume that more of those balls will turn into extra-base hits or even home runs if the Rangers are able to adopt that approach.

Got our Skip.

Skip Schumaker has been named the 21st full-time manager in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/pqx9hwdAYw
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) October 4, 2025

A major change this fanbase should expect to see is the launch angle of swings, as Schumaker's Marlins teams operated with a flat swing compared to the Rangers having a borderline uppercut.

"Their average launch angle of 10 degrees (the lowest in baseball) helped result in the second-fewest pop ups leaguewide and an above-average quality of contact. The Rangers had the highest launch angle, the highest flyball percentage and the second-most pop-ups in baseball through the first two months of last season before the club's offensive minds enacted a change in approach," McFarland added.

The park factors of Globe Life Field have made hitting balls in the air a burden to Texas' offense, so adopting more of a contact approach where the swings of players are flatter should produce more consistent results.

Of course, all of that is easier said than done. It will be up to the players to make adjustments heading into next season, and it's not a given that those will occur. However, those are some things to keep an eye on early next year as Schumaker attempts to make his presence felt on this team.