As pitchers and catchers report to spring training all around the MLB and opening day draws near, MLB Network released its top 100 players in baseball.
The list was compiled by MLB Network’s production and research team using its own formula to figure out who baseball’s brightest stars are. Among the 100 players listed, four Texas Rangers made the top 100.
You could probably guess that Rangers superstar shortstop Corey Seager made the list, but who joined him? Where did they rank? Here are the four Rangers on the MLB top 100 and where they were slotted.
17. Corey Seager
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The Rangers’ 2023 World Series MVP checked in at No. 17 on the list and ranked fourth among shortstops behind Bobby Witt Jr., Francisco Lindor and Gunnar Henderson.
Seager, who only played 123 games this season due to another sports hernia surgery, still turned in a strong All-Star campaign in 2024. He blasted 30 home runs, drove in 74 runs and finished with an OPS+ of 145. He slashed .278/.353/.512/.864 last year, down from his outrageous 1.013 OPS in 2023, but still incredibly productive.
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Seager started the 2024 season slowly as he missed most of spring training due to different sports hernia surgery that he had in January 2024. Without much ramp-up work in spring training, he struggled at the plate in March/April last season, posting a .631 OPS. He caught fire in May and returned to his usual form with a 1.047 OPS.
He was put on the shelf for his second sports hernia surgery in September, so with plenty more time to recover, Seager should be able to start 2025 much faster than he did in 2024.
62. Marcus Semien
Semien was one of several Rangers who regressed in 2024, especially offensively. His OPS dipped from .826 in 2023 to .699 in 2024 and Texas’ lead-off hitter just wasn’t quite the same.
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Even amid a disappointing season offensively, Semien still turned in a 4.1 WAR season, scored 100 runs and was selected to the American League All-Star team last year.
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He is primed for a bounce-back 2025 given his strong history of rebounding from sub-par seasons. When he posted an 89 OPS+ in 2020, he came back with an OPS+ of 131 in 2021 with Toronto. When he started his Rangers career with an OPS+ of 106 in 2022, he came back with an OPS+ of 126 in 2023. Given his bounce-back ability at the plate and his elite defense, Semien still fits as a top 100 player.
97. Wyatt Langford
After turning in a strong rookie season, Wyatt Langford found his way on to the top 100 rankings.
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The Rangers’ highly-touted prospect rocketed through the minor leagues and bullied his way onto the Rangers’ opening day roster in 2024 less than a year after Texas drafted him. While he didn’t quite live up to all of the hype, he figured things out throughout the season and still turned in a promising rookie campaign.
Texas Rangers’ Wyatt Langford (36) gestures after hitting a double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees at Globe Life Field, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024 in Arlington. (Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer)
In 134 games, Langford hit 16 home runs, drove in 74 runs and finished with a 111 OPS+. He slashed .253/.325/.415/.740, including hitting for the cycle, but a deeper dive into his splits showed that he figured things out throughout the 2024 season.
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While he struggled in March/April and May until a hamstring injury sidelined him, he posted an .894 OPS in June before regressing in July and August.
However, he couldn’t have finished his season any stronger, as Langford posted a .996 OPS with eight home runs and 20 RBI in September/October to close out the year. If his outrageous final 26 games are any indication of his 2025 performance, Langford could be primed for a breakout, All-Star level season.
99. Jacob deGrom
When healthy, deGrom is much better than the No. 99 player in baseball.
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But health has been the issue, as he missed most of his first season with the Rangers in 2023 due to needing Tommy John surgery after just six starts. The two-time Cy Young winner then missed most of the 2024 campaign, before becoming one of the silver linings in a difficult season for Texas.
Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom throws in the outfield during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Surprise, Ariz. (Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)
DeGrom returned at the tail-end of the season and made three starts for the Rangers, posting a 1.69 ERA in 10.2 innings. While a small sample size in a lost season, the 36-year-old returning from Tommy John surgery and heading into 2025 both healthy and confident represents a big victory for deGrom and Texas.
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If he can remain healthy, deGrom figures to be the Rangers’ bona-fide ace at the top of their rotation.
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