Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez was the face of the Texas Rangers for a decade, and why not?  “I-Rod” was considered to be one of the best Catchers of the 1990s by whatever metric you used.  He could hit for average, eight times batting over .300 for the Rangers, earned six Silver Sluggers, and had some power with five seasons over 20 Home Runs, but he was even more known for his defensive skills.

With two productive stints with the Texas Rangers, Rafael Palmeiro was not a flashy player, but always put up consistent hitting and power numbers that put Palmeiro amongst the top of the list in most offensive categories.  As a Ranger, Palmeiro blasted 321 Home Runs with a Slugging Percentage of .519, and 1,692 Hits of his 3,000 plus were in Texas.  Had Palmeiro been an Outfielder with his production he would likely have made more All-Star Games.Due to his controversy with getting caught for PED use late in his career as an Oriole, Palmeiro has been excluded from the Baseball…

A certified hitting machine, Adrian Beltre continued his great work with the bat when he arrived in Arlington.  Beltre, joined Texas in 2011 until his retirement in 2018 and he was named an All-Star three of his five seasons.  He is also a two time Gold Glove and Silver Sulgger winner with Texas.  Beltre’s Texas accolades also include a Hitting Title, a Platinum Glove, and a Wilson Defensive Award.  With the Rangers, Beltre smacked over 1,200 Hits with 199 Home Runs and a .304 Batting Average.  He was also in the MVP top ten four times with the Rangers.Texas inducted…

One of the most underrated baseball players of all time, Buddy Bell blossomed in the heart of Texas.  Bell would make earn all six of his Gold Gloves as a Ranger and he was a very good hitter that accumulated 1,060 Hits with a solid .293 Batting Average.  Bell would also make four of his five All-Star appearances as a Texas Ranger.In 2004, the Rangers inducted Bell into their Hall of Fame.

Three times an All-Star with the Texas Rangers, Ian Kinsler provided a good glove at Second Base, a solid pop with his bat, and decent speed on the basepaths.  Kinsler was not someone who was elite at anything, but very good at everything.A Ranger from 2006 to 2012, Kinsler accumulated 1,145 Hits, 156 Home Runs, and batted .273 for the team.  He would later win a World Series with Boston in 2018,

With 2,230 Hits as a Texas Ranger, Michael Young led the American League twice in that category and had seven seasons where he reach the 200 Hit plateau.  Young would win the 2005 AL Batting Title and would be an All-Star seven times.  Despite his hitting acumen, Young was not the best defensive player (mostly he was inconsistent) and his OBP is a little low considering his Batting Average, which is why his rank may not seem high enough.As of this writing, Young is the all-time franchise leader in Hits, Runs (1,085), Doubles (415), and Triples (55). Young was enshrined…

Arguably the best defensive Catcher of the late 1970’s, Jim Sundberg rattled off six consecutive Gold Gloves (1976-81) and would lead the American League seven times for Total Zone Runs from the Catcher position.  He was not an elite hitter, but still had over 1,000 Hits for the Rangers.  The Rangers enshrined Sundberg into their Hall of Fame in 2003.

The Venezuelan born, Elvis Andrus played the first 12 seasons of his career with the Texas Rangers (2009-20), two of which were All-Star (2010 & 2012) seasons.  Andrus would lead the American League in Sacrifice Hits three times and with the exception of his injury-plagued 2018 season, and COVID-stricken 2020 season, he never had less than 125 Hits or 20 Stolen Bases in a season.  With the Rangers, Andrus had 1,743 Hits, batted .274, and is the all-time leader for Texas in Stolen Bases (305).

Converted to a Starting Pitcher in Texas, Charlie Hough used his craftiness and knuckleball to be a bona fide innings eater for the Rangers.  Hough was only an All-Star once, but he logged well over 2,000 Innings for Texas and a respectable 139 and 123 record with 1,452 Strikeouts.  The Rangers inducted Hough into their Hall of Fame in 2003 as part of their first class.

Three times an All-Star with the Texas Rangers, Toby Harrah was a very patient hitter who led the American League in Walks in 1977.  He would have three seasons with the Rangers where he blasted over 20 Home Runs and also had three seasons where he stole more than 20 bases.  Harrah secured 1,124 Hits, 124 Home Runs, and 154 Stolen Bases, and was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2009.

The 2010 American League MVP, Josh Hamilton revised his career as a superstar slugger who would become one of the most feared hitters of the early 2010’s.  While his overall career would not be what many had hoped for when he was much younger, he would still become a major force for the Texas Rangers and a four-time Silver Slugger.  Hamilton, who blasted 150 Home Runs with Texas, was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2019.

We know.Alex Rodriguez was paid a lot in a contract that the Texas Rangers realistically couldn’t afford.  However, the fact is that A-Rod did his job with the Rangers and his three years in Arlington are in the top four sabremetric seasons of all time for Texas.

While Fergie Jenkins may have secured his Baseball Hall of Fame resume with the Chicago Cubs, he was still a very good Starting Pitcher with the Texas Rangers where he would be the American League Cy Young runner up in 1974 and still post a decent record of 93 and 72 as a Texas Ranger.  Jenkins went into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2004.

A prolific slugger, Ruben Sierra had two runs with the Texas Rangers, the first of which saw him make three All-Star games and earn the runner-up for the 1989 American League MVP.  That season, Sierra would also win the Slugging Title and lead the league in Runs Batted In.  The Rangers elected him into their Hall of Fame in 2009.

Nolan Ryan and “The Ryan Express” would play for the Rangers only in the last five years of his career, but even in the last five years of his celebrated career (which was in his 40’s), he was still a very good starter who could still fan batters at will and would become an even bigger icon in the state of Texas.  Ryan would go on to become an executive with the Rangers and will forever be beloved by the fans of the organization.  Remember, this rank is only what happens on the diamond, as if we decide this in…