Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2021 revision of our top Texas Rangers.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the American League. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Texas signed some talent, but was not able to do much in regards to the standings and were basement dwellers.  There was a returnee, that allowed a new entrant to the Top 50, but that did not impact the upper tier.

As always, we present our top five, which was not impacted by last season:

1. Ivan Rodriguez

2. Rafael Palmeiro

3. Juan Gonzalez

4. Adrian Beltre

5. Frank Howard

You can find the entire list here.

The only new entrant on the list is All-Star and Starting Pitcher, Martin Perez, who debuts at #45.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Signed as an Amateur Free Agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016 following his defection from Cuba, Yordan Alvarez was traded only 45 days later to Houston in a move that Dodgers management would come to regret.

“Air Yordan” did not need a long time to make it to the Majors, breaking the roster in June, 2019, and despite missing playing less than other rookies, he was the unanimous American League Rookie of the Year, belting 27 Home Runs in only 369 Plate Appearances with a Slash Line of .313/.412/.655.  Alvarez was outstanding in that year’s World Series, batting .412 in their loss to Washington.

Alvarez only played in two Games in 2020 due to injury, but there were no side effects for Alvarez moving forward.  Playing more at DH than in Outfield, Alvarez’s hitting skills were proven to remain upper-tier.  Smacking 33 Home Runs with 104 RBIs, Alvarez had a .877 Slugging Percentage, and matched his Second Team All-MLB honor from his rookie year.  The Astros went to the World Series, though lost to Atlanta, but Alvarez batted over .500 in the NLCS, winning the NLCS MVP.  

In 2022, Alvarez continued his ascension, with 37 Home Runs, a .306 Batting Average and an OPS of 1.019.  He won MLB 1 honors, went to his first All-Star Game, won the Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting.  Alvarez would this time be on the winning side of a World Series.  Alvarez had another good 2023, adding his second All-Star, a third All-MLB 2, and his third straight 30 HR year.  Last year, Alvarez continued his strong offensive game with 35 Home Runs, and begins 2025 on a streak of three All-Stars and four 30-plus Home Run years

While Alvarez's defense and speed are not strong, his bat is the most potent on a great club going into 2025.

Martin Perez began his career with the Rangers, first signing as an Amateur Free Agent from Venezuela in 2007.  The Pitcher first cracked the Majors in 2012, and for the next seven years, it always felt like Perez was struggling to fight or keep a spot on the backend of the Rangers rotation.  In that time frame, Perez managed three 10-Win years, but only had one year where he had an ERA under four and/or a WHIP under 1.4 (2013).  After an abysmal 2018 (2-7, 6.22 ERA), Perez left as a Free Agent for Minnesota, and after three years, he returned to Texas in 2022, but this time it was different.

Perez’ 2022 saw the Venezuelan go 12-8, with a 2.89 ERA and 1.258 WHIP, the latter two by far the best of his career.  He was one of the few bright spots on a poor Rangers team, and for the first time in his career, Perez was an All-Star.  In 2023, Perez was again a lower-end starter, but he was now a World Series Champion, with Texas winning it all.

Perez signed with Pittsburgh in 2024, leaving the Rangers with a 65 and 61 record.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB.  Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such, it is important to us that the Seattle Mariners have announced that the Los Angeles Dodgers will retire Fernando Valenzuela’s #34 this August.

The Dodgers accidentally discovered Valenzuela as they were scouting a Shortstop in Mexico.  They were dazzled by the rotund hurler and signed him, buying out his Mexican League contract in 1979.  A year later, he was a September callup, and in 17.2 Innings, he never allowed a run.  It didn't take a clairvoyant to see what might happen in 1981.

"El Toro" helped the Dodgers win the 1981 World Series.  That season, he won the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young, making him the first player to accomplish that in the same year.  Valenzuela was the opening day starter, and everyone in Los Angeles took the Mexican star to heart.

The mania surrounding Valenzuela cooled, but he was still an elite pitcher for many years.  He was an All-Star each year from 1981 to 1986, and he had three more top-five finishes in Cy Young voting.  Valenzuela would have three 200 Strikeout years, and he was also a decent batter, winning two Silver Sluggers, as well as aiding L.A to a World Series win in 1988.

Valenzuela will join Pee Wee Reese, Tommy Lasorda, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges. Jim Gilliam, Don Sutton, Walter Alston, Sandy Koufax, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson and Don Drysdale who have their number retired by the Dodgers.

Pitchers had better careers, but many of those never captured the imagination of baseball fans like Fernando Valenzuela.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Fernando Valenzuela for this impending honor.