Rangers Catching Tandem Experienced Uneven Performance in 2025

Season-Ending Catchers: Jonah Heim (124 G, .213/.271/.332, 603 OPS, 11 HR, 43 RBI, 14 2B, 38 R, 3 SB), Kyle Higashioka (94 G, .241/.291/.403, .694 OPS, 11 HR, 47 RBI, 14 2B, 1 3B, 33 R, 3 SB). Heim played 96 games behind the plate while Higashioka played 71 games. Heim spent 27 games at designated hitter and Higashioka spent 22 games at DH.

Tucker Barnhart played seven games at catcher for the Rangers when Higashioka was on the injured list.

Catching Stats: Heim — minus-2 blocks above average (28%), minus-1 CS above average (35%), minus-2 pitch framing (28%), 2.01 pop time (7%); Higashioka — minus-3 blocks above average (22%), minus-6 CS above average (2%), plus-3 pitch framing (78%), 2.03 pop time (6%);

Percentiles per Baseball Savant and based on a 100% scale.

Season Notes

After Heim logged at least 127 games at catcher for the past three seasons, including an All-Star season in 2023, the Rangers signed Higashioka to serve as a tandem. The idea was to keep Heim fresh and help boost his slash, as he went .220/.267/.336 in 2024. His batting average was a 38-point drop from his All-Star year in 2023 (.258/.317/.438).

Higashioka was coming off a .220/.263/.476 with San Diego in 2024, but he hit 17 home runs. The right-handed hitting Higashioka could work against left-handed pitching while Heim, a switch-hitter, could work against right-handed and left-handed pitching.

Heim struggled at the plate for the second straight season. His .213 batting average was his worst since his first season with the Rangers, when he hit .196 in 82 games in 2021. But, on May 26 he was batting .254. His average steadily dropped from there.

Higashioka experienced struggles in the middle of the season. At the end of June, he was batting just .215. He picked up his average and production in the second half, as his average soared to as high as .268 before it came back to earth a bit in the final month.

Higashioka was a far better framer behind the plate than Heim, but both struggled well below league averages in blocks above average and pop rate.

Under Contract or Team Control

Jonah Heim, Kyle Higashioka

Heim is entering his final year of team control before he can become a free agent after the 2026 season. He and the Rangers agreed to a $4.575 million deal to avoid arbitration in 2025. Higashioka is entering the second year of his deal with the Rangers in which he will be paid $6.75 million. He and the Rangers have a mutual option for $7 million in 2027.

The Rangers don’t have any catchers on the MLB roster that are free agents.

What’s Next?

The Rangers may need to make a decision on Heim. His slash has declined each of the last two years, but there’s plenty of that going on with Texas’ position players. The Rangers will have to decide if a new manager in Skip Schumaker and, perhaps, a new hitting staff, can get more out of Heim. If Texas doesn’t believe it can, then the Rangers could trade Heim or even non-tender him in November.

It's more likely the Rangers keep him, as they don’t have a prospect in the pipeline that could serve as a solid tandem with Higashioka. If Texas goes the non-tender route with Heim, they’ll need to re-sign a veteran catcher to go along with Higashioka.