Texas Rangers All-Star Catchers Predicted To Bounce Back This Upcoming Season

Not much went right for the Texas Rangers in 2024 when they failed to defend their World Series title and won only 78 games in the regular season.

There were a lot of contributing factors to the team’s underwhelming performance, as injuries played a major part.

Regression was another culprit, as a few of the Rangers’ key players from their championship run were unable to replicate their production the following year.

One of those players was catcher Jonah Heim.

In 2023, he was one of the best catchers in baseball, producing a .258/.317/.438 slash line with 18 home runs and 28 doubles. He knocked in 95 runs, earning his first trip to the All-Star Game.

On top of the stellar offensive production, he was excellent behind the plate as well. Heim won the Gold Glove Award, looking like a long-term contributor for the club as a two-way catcher.

Alas, his production took a major step back in every facet in 2024.

Heim was the second-worst hitter with at least 450 plate appearances, recording a wRC+ of only 70; Maikel Garcia of the Kansas City Royals was the only hitter who was worse. It was a steep drop off from the 105 and 99 he had recorded in 2023 and 2022 respectively.

Along with the lack of production at the plate, his defensive numbers also headed south.

Looking to add some insurance at the position, the Rangers signed veteran Kyle Higashioka in free agency. The two sides agreed to a two-year, $12.5 million contract, hinting that he will be given the chance to play with some regularity.

Even if Heim sees his playing time cut down from where it was the last two campaigns, he is expected to produce at a higher level in 2025 than he did in 2024.

Projections shared by Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com suggest the Texas catcher will be one of the most improved players in baseball in terms of WAR.

After recording a minus-0.1 last year, Heim is projected to produce 1.7 this season, via FanGraphs. That plus-1.8 WAR improvement would place him in a tie with Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman for the eighth-largest in 2025.

A bounce back of that nature would certainly help the Rangers as they look to re-enter the conversation as contenders in the American League.

Recommended Articles