Former Rangers All-Star Announces Final Season

Charlie Brown, Snoopy Bobblehead Released

If you’re looking for that perfect gift for the Texas Rangers fan in your life, the Charlie Brown & Snoopy Peanuts 2023 World Series Champions Trophy Dual Bobblehead dropped Saturday morning from FOCO.

The bobblehead portrays Charlie Brown and Snoopy posing in the Rangers’ white gameday uniform, ready to celebrate the champs in style. Both Charlie Brown and Snoopy are shown holding bat and glove atop a thematic base that features a scoreboard, tree and fence accents to make it feel more like the ballpark.

The focal point of the bobblehead is the miniature championship trophy on top of the base. It’s limited to 144 units, retails for $90 and stands at 5 inches tall. It’s available, along with more Rangers collectibles, here at FOCO.com.

Adolis Garcia Gets New York Love, Tied to Babe Ruth

Texas Rangers playoff hero Adolis García sure looked like Babe Ruth during the run to the World Series championship.

Now they will forever be linked.

García won the Babe Ruth Award as the 2023 postseason MVP, as voted on by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

García hit .323 with eight homers with 22 RBI in 15 games as the Rangers won their first title by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games.

He was the American League Championship Series MVP after helping the Rangers beating the Houston Astros in seven games. At one point, he hit home runs in five consecutive postseason games, including the walk-off homer in Game 1 of the World Series.

Rangers Insider Lists Potential Pitching Trade Targets

The Texas Rangers will be active in free agency. The World Series champions are constantly linked to the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Josh Hader, as well as bringing back Jordan Montgomery.

But as one club insider point out, the trade market is a definite route to improving the roster. Rangers radio broadcaster Jared Sandler of 105.3 The Fan said to keep an eye on certain starting pitchers during an appearance on NBC 5’s “Big Game Sunday.”

“They’ve got some depth in certain areas that might allow them to get creative, so if the numbers don’t make sense on some of these free agents at the top of the market, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rangers in on maybe a guy like Corbin Burnes or someone like Dylan Cease or someone in that trade market,” Sandler told host Newy Scruggs. “What about a guy like Tyler Glasnow?”

Sander also addressed the Rangers’ depth, top prospect Wyatt Langford and a Dec. 3 event at Globe Life Field from The Sandlot Children's Charity. Check out the entire conversation on nbcdfw.com.

Yankees After Free Agent Jordan Montgomery

The Texas Rangers obviously want Jordan Montgomery back. The left-handed starter starred in the postseason, as the Rangers captured the first World Series championship in franchise history.

Montgomery is a priority for Texas in free agency. Just as he is for other clubs.

The New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals are mentioned often when it comes to pursuing Montgomery. He also previously pitched for both teams before coming to the Rangers. The Boston Red Sox have also met with Montgomery’s representation.

A recent report from Jon Heyman in the New York Post again reiterated the Yankees’ interest.

The Yankees have been particular about rotation targets, looking at Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jordan Montgomery but not some others.

There’s also a growing belief in the industry that Montgomery will return to Texas. But until his signature hits a contract, the speculation will continue.

Prospect Standing Out in Winter Ball

Baseball is slowing down in the USA, but the offseason isn’t without real games still going on. The Winter League are going strong, and the Texas Rangers are represented in those warm-weather countries that are hitting the diamond.

MLB.com recently posted a list of seven prospects standing out in winter ball. Cole Winn, the No. 28 prospect in the Rangers system, made the list for his standout play in Puerto Rico.

Winn made a name for himself in 2021 when he appeared in the All-Star SiriusXM Futures Game in the midst of a breakout season. He has been inconsistent the past two seasons, but he showed some flashes of his potential in 2023 with Triple-A Round Rock, twice taking home PCL Pitcher of the Week honors. So far in his first winter ball campaign, Winn has seven strikeouts in 10 innings – good for second on the club in punchouts.

Josh Jung Honored by Texas Tech

The victory lap for the Texas Rangers will likely continue right up to Spring Training, as the World Series champs enjoy their historic accomplishment at ports near and far.

Josh Jung is the latest to feel the love of Rangers fans, both long-time and adopted.

The third baseman visited his old stomping grounds on Saturday, getting introduced during the second half of Texas Tech’s football game against Central Florida at Jones AT&T Stadium.

It’s been an interesting offseason already for Jung, who starred on the Red Raiders baseball team from 2017-19. Despite an outstanding first season as the starting third baseman and an All-Star berth, Jung wasn’t a finalist for American League Rookie of Year or receive Gold Glove consideration.

GM Young Addresses Free Agent Kershaw

If there’s a team Clayton Kershaw would leave the Los Angeles Dodgers for, it’s the Texas Rangers.

The chance to pitch back home for the Dallas native has tugged at Kershaw for the past two offseasons. He’s a free agent again, but the circumstances are different for 2024.

Kershaw is coming off shoulder surgery and likely won’t be ready for the start of next season. When he comes back is currently uncertain, though the 35-year-old three-time Cy Young Award winner hopes to pitch “at some point next summer.”

Could the Rangers be a landing spot? Texas general manager Chris Young is neighbors with Kershaw in Dallas, and was asked about the left-hander during the recently completed general managers meetings in Scottsdale.

“I can’t speak about any specific free agent,” Young said, according to The Orange County Register. “But certainly, as a friend, I wish Clayton the best.”

The Dodgers certainly want Kershaw back.

“We are very respectful of Clayton and Ellen’s decision and giving them the time and space to make the best decision for their family,” Dodgers president Friedman told the Register. “But selfishly, we hope it’s to continue and finish his career in Dodger blue.”

FOCO Releases Semien, Seager Silver Slugger Bobbleheads

FOCO has released the Silver Slugger bobbleheads for Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and a commemorative Silver Slugger Team Award that was bestowed upon them as the American League’s best offensive team.

The Seager and Semien bobbles feature both sluggers in hitting poses holding a thematic silver bat. They stand atop a batting box themed base with their names displayed in front. The backboard of the bobblehead features the Louisville Silver Slugger logo, the team logo, and a plaque commemorating the details about the respective players’ award.

Each one is limited 123 units, retails for $75, and stands at 8 inches tall.

The Silver Slugger Team Award bobblehead is similar to the individual ones but feature both Semien and Seager on the same bobblehead. They stand atop a thematic Silver Slugger base with the team logo on the bottom of the base and plaques for each of the players on the back.

This one is limited to 96 units, retails for $100, and stands at 5 inches tall.

Order your Silver Slugger bobbleheads, as well as view more Texas Rangers collectibles, at FOCO.com.

Voting Open for All-MLB Team

The Texas Rangers have eight nominees for the fifth annual All-MLB Team were announced this week, meaning it’s time for fans to help select the winners.

Fans can vote once every 24 hours between now and 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 19. Winners will be announced on Dec. 16, with 50% of the vote coming from fans and 50% coming from a panel of experts. See here for more details about the All-MLB selection process, as well as a full list of nominees by position.

Most 2023 All-MLB nominees by team
10: Astros
9: Braves
8: Rangers
7: Rays
6: D-backs, Dodgers, Mariners, Orioles, Padres

Here’s the Rangers’ list: Aroldis Chapman, RP; Nathan Eovaldi, SP; Adolis García, OF; Jonah Heim, C; Josh Jung, 3B; Jordan Montgomery, SP; Corey Seager, SS; Marcus Semien, 2B.

World Series Trophy Coming to Fort Worth, Billy Bob's

After the Texas Rangers’ run to their first-ever World Series championship, team leaders are coming to Fort Worth to showcase the Commissioner’s Trophy to city leadership and receive a Key to the City from Fort Worth mayor Mattie Parker.

Event details

• The Thursday, Nov. 9, event is free and open to the public and will take place at iconic Billy Bob’s Texas (2520 Rodeo Plaza).
• A free show from Squeezebox Bandits starts at 12:30 p.m., followed by the brief presentation ceremony at 1:30 p.m.
• At the ceremony, representatives from the Texas Rangers organization will showcase the Commissioner’s Trophy and Fort Worth mayor Mattie Parker will present a Key to the City.
• Billy Bob’s Texas opens at 11 a.m. and the showroom opens at noon.
• Paid parking is available in several lots in the area.

The ceremony will be live-streamed on FWTV.

"This is a momentous occasion for Fort Worth, North Texas and all Texas Rangers fans," Parker said. "We are thrilled to host this event at Billy Bob’s in the iconic Fort Worth Stockyards and celebrate the team’s remarkable achievement. It’s an honor for our city to be a part of Texas Rangers history."

Seager, Semien Set Club First in MVP Voting

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager, second baseman Marcus Semien and manager Bruce Bochy are finalists for awards presented by the Baseball Writers Association of American (BBWAA), it was announced Monday in a televised special on MLB Network.

Seager and Semien join Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani as finalists for the 2023 American League Most Valuable Player Award. Bochy is a finalist for American League Manager of the Year. All voting was completed prior to the start of the 2023 postseason. The MVP award winner will be announced Nov. 16, while the manager award winner will be revealed Nov. 14.

The Rangers have never had two players finish in the top three in A.L. MVP voting, although the club has had two of the top five on three previous occasions: 1974 (Jeff Burroughs-1st; Fergie Jenkins-5th), 1999 (Iván Rodríguez-1st; Rafael Palmeiro-5th), and 2012 (Adrián Beltré-3rd; Josh Hamilton-5th). The last Texas player to win the MVP Award was Josh Hamilton in 2010.

This will be just the fifth time in the last 24 years beginning 2000 for a team to have two of the top three finishers in American League MVP voting. The others: 2021 Toronto Blue Jays (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.-2nd, Marcus Semien-3rd), 2009 New York Yankees (Mark Teixeira-2nd; Derek Jeter-3rd), 2008 Boston Red Sox (Dustin Pedroia-1st; Kevin Youkilis-3rd), and 2001 Seattle Mariners (Ichiro Suzuki-1st; Bret Boone-3rd).

No Texas player has been a finalist for one of the three BBWAA awards since Yu Darvish finished second in A.L. Cy Young Award voting in 2013. The last time any Ranger was a finalist for the A.L. MVP Award came in 2012, when Adrián Beltré (3rd) and Josh Hamilton (5th) were both among the five individuals tabbed in the initial year of the BBWAA announcing finalists.

Bochy’s only career Manager of the Year Award came with San Diego in 1996. He was a N.L. Manager of the Year finalist in both 2012, when he finished third behind Washington’s Davey Johnson and Cincinnati’s Dusty Baker, and 2014, when he was also third behind Washington’s Matt Williams and Pittsburgh’s Clint Hurdle. Bochy returned to the dugout in 2023 for his first season as Rangers manager, guiding Texas to the largest increase in regular season winning percentage from 2022-23 among MLB clubs. Bochy also secured his fourth career World Series title as a manager (also 2010-12-14 with San Francisco).

Seager was previously a finalist for National League MVP with the Dodgers in 2016, when he finished third in voting behind the Cubs’ Kris Bryant, who received 29 of 30 first place votes, and the Nationals’ Daniel Murphy. Seager slashed .327/.390/.623/1.013 (156-477) with 33 home runs, 42 doubles, and 96 RBI across 119 games in 2023. Despite missing 43 games due to a pair of stints on the Injured List, the World Series MVP still ranked among A.L. qualifiers this season in doubles (1st), batting average (2nd), OPS (2nd), slugging pct. (2nd), extra-base hits (T2nd, 75), on-base pct. (3rd), home runs (T5th), and RBI (T10th).

Semien is an American League MVP finalist for the third time, finishing third in both 2021, to the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani and Blue Jays teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and in 2019 to the Angels’ Mike Trout and Astros’ Alex Bregman. Semien batted .276/.348/.478/.826 (185-670) with 29 home runs, 4 triples, 29 doubles, 100 RBI, and 122 runs over 162 games this season. He ranked among American League leaders in hits (1st), runs (1st), plate appearances (1st, club-record 753), at-bats (1st, 670), times on base (2nd, 262), total bases (2nd, 320), doubles (3rd), and RBI (T4th). Including the postseason, Semien started each of the Rangers’ 179 games in 2023, setting Major League single-season records for games started and plate appearances (835).