The best 24 players in Texas Rangers history

Puerto Rican-born backstop Ivan 'Pudge' Rodriguez is on the short list of greatest catchers in the history of the game, and the vast majority of his illustrious career was spent in Texas. Rodriguez debuted for the Rangers midway through the '91 campaign and almost instantly became a star. In the just over 1,500 games he ended up playing with Texas, he slashed a phenomenal .304/.341/.488 with 217 homers, 842 RBI, 352 doubles, 28 triples, and 81 stolen bases. Rodriguez was named to the American League all-star team ten times, won ten Gold Glove awards, took home six Silver Sluggers, and most impressively, was named the MVP of the AL in 1999. Rodriguez's ability to be a difference-maker on both sides of the ball was almost unparalleled for someone playing his position, which helped him easily find his way into the Hall of Fame in 2017. Texas retired his number 7 the same year.  

First baseman Rafael Palmeiro played two separate five-year stints in Arlington, and both times provided the Rangers with one of the best left-handed run producers in the game, In the 10 total seasons Palmeiro spent in Texas he slashed a terrific .290/.378/.519 with 321 home runs, 1,039 RBI, and 321 doubles. He wore a Rangers hat in a pair of all-star games, won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger, and impressively drove in over 100 runs for the Rangers six times. Palmeiro's name got stained by his attachment to steroids and his botched appearance in a congressional hearing about the issue, but let's not dismiss just how talented he was between the white lines. 

Adrian Beltre spent the final eight of his 21 Major League seasons patrolling the hot corner in Texas, and was an emphatic fan favorite during his entire Rangers tenure. In 1,098 games with the team he slashed .304/.357/.509 with 199 homers, 699 RBI, 239 doubles, and 10 triples. Beltre made three all-star teams while with Texas, led the league with 199 hits in 2013, and won three Gold Glove awards as well as three Silver Sluggers. He never won the award but finished in the top 10 in the AL MVP voting five times as a Ranger, and drove in over 100 runs for the team three times. Texas retired his number 29 in 2019. 

Third baseman Buddy Bell played more games with the Cleveland Indians than he did with the Rangers, but without question, his best years came in Texas. In parts of eight seasons with the Rangers, Bell slashed .293/.351/.431 with 305 extra-base hits and 499 RBI. Four of his career five all-star appearances came in a Texas uniform, as did all six of his Gold Glove awards and his lone Silver Slugger. He reached double digits in homers with the Rangers six times, and drove in over 80 runs for the team on three different occasions. After his playing career Bell would go on to become a manager for the Tigers, Rockies, and Royals. 

For close to a decade Ian Kinsler provided the Rangers with one of the most productive and reliable second basemen in the American League. The Tucson, AZ native suited up for Texas 1,066 times and slashed a strong .273/.349/.454. He crushed 156 homers for the Rangers, drove in 539 runs, doubled 249 times and even swiped 172 bases. Kinsler wore a Texas hat in three Midsummer Classics, and along with Elvis Andrus gave this team a flashy double-play combination for a long time. In November of 2013 Kinsler was traded to Detroit in a deal that brought the Rangers slugging first baseman Prince Fielder. 

Catcher Jim Sundberg played for the Rangers for a dozen seasons, and aside from Pudge Rodriguez, he's the most distinguished backstop the organization has ever employed. In 1,512 games with the organization, Sundberg slashed .252/.330/.345 with 287 extra-base hits, 480 RBI, and even 18 stolen bases. He was selected to participate in a pair of all-star games, won six straight Gold Glove awards from '76-'81, and was very nearly named the AL Rookie of the Year in 1974. Sundberg was known mostly as a defensive catcher but still contributed 20 or more doubles for the Rangers six times, and was a really important piece of this team for the duration of his tenure. 

Knuckleballer Charlie Hough pitched for the Rangers for the entirety of the 1980s and was an incredibly productive member of the club's pitching staff. In 344 appearances for Texas (313 of which were starts), the right-handed Hough earned 139 victories and pitched to a strong 3.68 ERA in 2,308 innings. Hough was a workhorse for the Rangers, contributing over 200 innings in eight different seasons, firing 98 complete games, and twice leading the league in starts. He represented the Rangers in the 1987 all-star game, and would later go on to become a pitching coach in Los Angeles and New York. 

Infielder Toby Harrah began his career as a member of the revamped Washington Senators and then moved with the team to Texas when the second Senators team in D.C. changed cities. In 1,355 games with the franchise that became known as the Rangers in '72, Harrah slashed .257/.357/.389 with 124 homers, 568 RBI, 187 doubles, 22 triples, and 153 stolen bases. Harrah represented Texas in three of his four career all-star appearances. 

The vast majority of Juan Gonzalez's highly productive Major League career was spent in a Texas Rangers uniform, and in his prime, there were very few right-handed hitters who were more dangerous. In exactly 1,400 games with the Rangers 'Juan-Gon' slashed .293/.342/.565 with 372 long balls, 1,180 RBI, and 320 doubles. He was the American League MVP in both 1996 and 1998, earned five Silver Sluggers, won the Home Run Derby in 1993, and yet was only selected to represent Texas in two all-star games. Gonzalez led the Majors in homers in both '92 and '93, and paced the AL with 157 RBI in '98. 

Like so many other players on this list, left-hander Kenny Rogers left Texas and later came back--and in his case he actually did it twice. In 528 games (252 starts) across three different stints with the Rangers, Rogers won 133 games and delivered a 4.16 ERA with a 1.40 WHIP in 1,909 innings. The Savannah, GA native was selected to represent Texas in three all-star games and won four Gold Gloves with the team. Some of Rogers' numbers don't scream top-of-the-rotation starter, but he was a consistent workhorse, giving the Rangers over 200 innings in five different seasons, and that level of consistency will always have value. 

Venezuelan-born Elvis Andrus is still playing and is currently a valuable middle infielder for the White Sox, but he first cut his teeth in Texas, and when his career is over, he'll undoubtedly be most remembered for his time as the Rangers' starting shortstop. In 12 seasons in Arlington the 34-year-old slashed .274/.330/.372 with 76 home runs, 636 RBI, 303 doubles, 48 triples, and 305 stolen bases. He represented Texas in two all-star games, was the runner-up to Andrew Bailey in the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year voting, stole over 30 bases for the Rangers five times, and helped the club win the AL pennant in both 2010 and 2011. 

Right-handed slugger Frank Howard actually only wore a Texas Rangers uniform in 1972, as most of his tenure with the organization was spent in D.C. while they were still known as the Senators. No matter the name on the jersey, though, Howard was one of the most dangerous power hitters in the sport. In 1,172 games with this franchise, he slashed .277/.367/.503 with 246 home runs, 701 RBI, and 155 doubles. He was chosen to represent the team in four straight all-star games from 1968-1971, and while with the Senators, he led the league in homers twice and RBI once. 

For more than a dozen years third baseman Michael Young was essentially the face of the Rangers team. He debuted for the club as a 23-year-old rookie late in the 2000 campaign, and beginning in '01 quickly blossomed into a productive everyday regular. In 1,823 games with Texas, Young slashed an excellent .301/.347/.444 with 177 homers, 984 RBI, 415 doubles, 55 triples, and 89 stolen bases. He won the batting title in 2005, was selected to seven different all-star teams, earned a Gold Glove in '08, and helped the Rangers win two AL pennants. Texas retired his number 10 in 2019. 

When shortstop Alex Rodriguez signed in Texas a free agent prior to the 2001 campaign, his 10-year/$252 million deal was the richest contract in the history of the game. And if I'd told you during his introductory press conference that Rodriguez would only play for the Rangers for three years you would have laughed me out of the room. But alas, that's how it all played out. In his three seasons in Arlington, Rodriguez was simply special, slashing .305/.395/.615 with 156 home runs, 395 RBI, 91 doubles, 9 triples, and 44 stolen bases. He led the American League in homers all three years, paced the league in RBI in 2002, and won his first MVP award in '03. He won two Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers in Texas and was emphatically recognized as the best player in the game. After the 2003 season, though, the Rangers felt they needed payroll flexibility if they were going to contend, and the Yankees were all too happy to trade for him and absorb his high salary. Today Rodriguez's Texas tenure is viewed much differently after he admitted to using PED's during his time there, but in the moment it was unbelievable what he was able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. 

Josh Hamilton incredible renaissance in Texas was relatively short-lived but, wow, was it impressive to watch. After battling off-the-field issues that threatened to derail his career before it even began, Hamilton reemerged in Cincinnati in 2007, hitting 19 homers in 90 games as a rookie. He was then traded to Texas where he blossomed into the most dangerous offensive player in baseball. In parts of six seasons with the Rangers the left-handed slugger slashed .302/.359/.542 with 150 homers, 531 RBI, 164 doubles, 17 triples, and 40 steals. He was selected to five straight all-star teams from '08-'12, won three Silver Sluggers, and was named the MVP of the American League in 2010. He won a batting title with Texas, led the AL with 130 RBI in 2008, and was the driving force behind two pennant-winning Rangers teams. 

Outfielder Rusty Greer was selected by the Rangers in the 10th round of the 1990 draft and would go on to spend his entire nine year career with the team as a productive left-handed hitter. In 1,027 games in a Texas uniform, the Fort Rucker, AL native slashed a strong .305/.387/.478 with 119 homers, 614 RBI, and 258 doubles. Greer drove in over 100 runs for the Rangers three times and racked up 40 doubles in a season on three separate occasions as well. 

Right-hander Fergie Jenkins is most remembered for his exploits in Chicago with the Cubs, but let's not forget how dominant he was in six total seasons across two different stints in Arlington. In 197 outings with the Rangers Jenkins won 93 games and delivered a 3.56 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP in 1,410.1 innings. He led the league with 25 wins and 29 complete games in 1974, and threw over 200 innings for Texas four times. Jenkins was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991. 

Switch-hitting first baseman Mark Teixeira enjoyed a highly productive fourteen-year Major League career, and while he may be most remembered as a Yankee, he spent his first four and a half seasons in Texas and it's in Arlington where he blossomed into a star. In the 693 games he played with the Rangers, Teixeira slashed .283/.368/.533 with 153 home runs, 499 RBI, and 173 doubles. He homered over 30 times and drove in more than 100 runs for the Rangers in three straight seasons from '04-'06, was an all-star in 2005, won two Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves, and twice actually played in all 162 of Texas' contests. 

Third baseman Ken McMullen never actually suited up in a Texas Rangers uniform, as his time with this organization ended just prior to the team leaving D.C. in favor of the Lone Star State. In the six seasons he did spend with this franchise, though, McMullen was able to carve out a role as a productive everyday player. In 767 games with the Senators, he slashed .251/.317/.389 with 199 extra-base hits and 327 RBI. He never made an all-star team, but he did give Washington five straight years with double-digit home run totals, and in 1969 he drove in a career-high 87 runs. 

Julio Franco incredibly played in the Major Leagues until he was 48 years old, and while he suited up for eight different teams, a glance at the back of his baseball card would tell you his best days came in Texas. In five seasons with the Rangers the right-handed hitter slashed .307/.382/.440 with 55 homers, 331 RBI, 123 doubles, 12 triples, and 98 stolen bases. He won the batting title by hitting .341 in 1991, made all three of his career all-star teams while in Texas, and even won three Silver Sluggers. 

Switch-hitting outfielder Ruben Sierra had three different stints in Texas and was a productive offensive piece for the Rangers in each and every one of them. In 1,190 total games with the team the Puerto Rican-born slugger slashed .280/.323/.473 with 180 home runs, 742 RBI, 257 doubles, 44 triples, and 90 stolen bases. He represented the Rangers in three all-star games, earned a Silver Slugger, and even won the 1989 Home Run Derby. In that '89 season he also led the American League in games played, RBI, triples, and slugging percentage, and ultimately finished runner up to Robin Yount in the MVP voting. 

When Yu Darvish decided to leave the NPB and join the Major Leagues in 2012 it was met with an unbelievable amount of hype and excitement, as at the time he was the best pitcher in Japan. The Rangers were over the moon that he chose to begin his big league career in Texas, and it quickly became apparent he was as every bit as good as we'd all heard. In 122 starts across five seasons in Texas, Darvish won 52 games and delivered a 3.42 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP. He struck out an eye-opening 960 batters in 782.2 innings and led the Majors with 277 punchouts in 2013. Darvish represented the Rangers in four all-star games, and now with the Padres he currently remains one of the better pitchers in baseball. 

Left-handed swinging first baseman Pete O'Brien was selected by the Rangers in the 15th round of the 1979 draft coming out of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and for the first seven years of his big league career provided the Rangers with a steady presence at position number three. In 946 games with the team he slashed .273/.348/.432 with 114 homers, 487 RBI, and 161 doubles, while consistently playing strong defense at an important position. O'Brien homered over 18 times and drove in more than 80 runs for Texas for four straight years from '84-'87. 

Right-hander Kevin Brown won two ERA titles and a World Series title with other teams later on, but he spent his first eight seasons in Texas laying the foundation for what would ultimately be a phenomenal career. In 187 outings for the Rangers the Milledgeville, GA native earned 78 victories and pitched to a 3.81 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP in 1,278.2 innings. He made his first career all-star team in 1992, the same season he led the American League in wins, and innings. Brown was a consistent workhorse who gave the Rangers 25 or more starts for six straight years from '89-'94, contributed over 200 innings three times, and even fired 40 complete games.