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5. Buddy Bell

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.

4. Juan Gonzalez

Emerging as a bona fide superstar with the Texas Rangers in the 1990’s, Juan Gonzalez was a prolific power hitter who hit over 40 home runs as a Ranger, two of which saw him win the Home Run Title.  Seven times, “Juan Gone” secured a 100 RBI campaign for Texas and he was named the American League MVP in 1996 and 1998.

Gonzalez is the all-time franchise leader in Home Runs (372) and RBIs (1180), and the Rangers inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2015.

2. Rafael Palmeiro

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 Hall of Fame and Rangers Hall of Fame.  Despite this, we feel confident that this high rank is appropriate for Palmeiro.

1. Ivan Rodriguez

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.