Sep 8, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Ezequiel Duran (20) throws the ball to first base during the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Turnaround of Ezequiel Duran's Season Has Powered Rangers During Hot Stretch

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI | By JD Andress | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 8:00 PM ET

A combination of injuries paired with multiple players having an underperforming seasons, led to a perfect .500 record in the first four months of the season for the Texas Rangers.

But now, some unexpected names that have been properly dubbed the "Little Rascals" have found themselves pushing this team into the mix for a playoff appearance after it look like they had little chance of playing October baseball.

One of the major driving forces for that has been the resurgence from utility infielder Ezequiel Duran. Once viewed as a failed prospect this season, he has found a way to turn that narrative around, becoming one of the significant pieces to the team's current success.

How Ezequiel Duran Turned His Season Around

For Duran, the beginning of the season was rough, and even that might be an understatement. The utility man didn't get his first hit of the year until May 9, six weeks after the start of the campaign. That even included a week-long stay in the minors where Texas hoped he would find his groove.

While it worked with him hitting .290 with two home runs and two doubles, he was unable to replicate that success when he was called back up to the bigs. He ended the month of May hitting .190 over 21 at-bats, and his season average was down to .114 with four hits over 35 at-bats. It didn't get better over the summer either, as he finished July with a .148 average.

In August, though, he finally broke through, finishing the month with a .318 average, 21 hits, five doubles, two walks and only nine strikeouts in 66 at-bats. While the longball still wasn't there, he showed his ability to find ways to sneak hits through the infield and raised his season average to .221.

Since the All-Star break, he has a .293 average, with seven doubles, 20 strikeouts and four stolen bases. The numbers aren't eye-popping, but they don't need to be for the Rangers to find success. His value primarily comes from his fielding ability, where he ranks third on the team in fielding run value with five, higher than Adolis Garcia, Josh Jung and Corey Seager.

His ability, and more so flexibility, create spots for him to play all around the field. While primarily playing first base this season, he has logged 44 innings in the outfield and 167 innings up the middle of the infield in the absence of Marcus Semien and Corey Seager.

For Duran, the talent was there. The coaching staff and fans saw it in 2023 when they won the World Series. While he is still a far cry from that performance this season, the current version of Duran has been enough to give the team a shot at the division and making the playoffs.