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 fourth revision of our top 50 Texas Rangers of all-time.
As for all of our top 50 players in baseball 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.
This one went a complete overhaul, which was reflected in our top five as seen below.
The complete list can be found here, but as always, we announce our top five in this article. They are:
5. Frank Howard
Our top five remains the same, but there two new additions, and one slight elevation.
Elvis Andrus moved up one spot from #15 to #14.
Pitchers, Lance Lynn and Mike Minor, debut at #43 and #49 respectively.
We welcome your input and commentsand as always, we thank you for your support.
When Lance Lynn signed a three-year contract with the Texas Rangers in December 2018, it attracted little attention nationwide. The experienced right-hander had faced a challenging few seasons, transitioning from an All-Star in St. Louis to missing all of 2016 due to Tommy John surgery. After a modest 2018 season splitting time between Minnesota and New York, many analysts thought he was entering a quiet decline phase. However, Lynn's move to Arlington sparked a remarkable turnaround, leading to a late-career resurgence that became the crowning achievement of his career.
Lynn quickly became the Rangers’ most reliable workhorse, especially during a standout 2019 season. He overwhelmed American League hitters with a relentless mix of four-seam and two-seam fastballs. Over 208.2 innings, he expertly controlled the strike zone, finishing with a 16–11 record and a career-high 246 strikeouts. His aggressive, high-pressure pitching kept a rebuilding Texas team competitive each game, earning widespread praise and a fifth-place finish in the AL Cy Young Award voting.
Lynn's performance during the 2020 season went beyond a typical one-year anomaly. Throughout a challenging, condensed schedule caused by the pandemic, he elevated his baseline to an even higher level of efficiency. Operating under chaotic conditions, he set a standard for pitching endurance by starting 13 games, achieving a strong 6–3 record with a 3.32 ERA, and leading Major League Baseball in innings pitched with 84.0. His consistent ability to go deep into games earned him a sixth-place finish in the 2020 Cy Young Award voting.
The 2019-2020 period marked Lynn's peak in his major league career. As the franchise shifted to a youth-focused rebuild and his trade value peaked, the front office traded him. In December 2020, Texas sent Lynn to the White Sox for Dane Dunning and prospect Avery Weems, enabling him to pursue postseason baseball before ending his career.
During his short stint in Texas, Lynn started 45 games, achieving a 22–14 record, a 3.57 ERA, and a 1.17 WHIP. He pitched 292.2 innings in high-pressure situations, recording 335 strikeouts and maintaining an impressive 133 ERA+.