Texas Rangers‘ Offensive woes Continue as wRC+ Plummets
The Texas Rangers’ offensive struggles have become a defining characteristic of their recent performance, with their weighted runs created plus (wRC+) dropping considerably as their championship-contending 2023 season. The team’s offensive output, a key indicator of overall team strength, now sits below league average, a stark contrast to their dominant showing just a year prior.
Weighted runs created plus (wRC+) is a complete metric that quantifies offensive value by synthesizing various statistical categories, adjusting for park and league effects. A wRC+ of 100 represents league average, with each point above or below indicating a percentage point better or worse performance.
In the 2023 regular season, the Rangers boasted an impressive 117 wRC+, signifying an offense that was 17% above the league average. Only the Atlanta Braves, another team experiencing a downturn, performed better.However,from the begining of the 2024 season through the start of the 2025 All-Star break,the Rangers’ wRC+ has fallen to 94,placing them 6% below league average and among the bottom eight teams in baseball.
This decline is reflected in the performance of key everyday players. Five players who were integral to the 2023 offense, excluding those who joined later in the season, have all experienced a drop of over 100 points in their OPS (on-base plus slugging). Notable examples include Corey Seager, whose OPS has fallen from 1.013 in 2023 to .856 since; Adolis García, from .836 to .681; Jonah Heim, from .755 to .605; Marcus Semien, from .826 to .693; and Josh Jung, from .781 to.676.
The Rangers’ head of baseball operations, in his fifth season, attributed the offensive struggles to a collective downturn rather than isolated incidents. He noted that the 2023 team benefited from a balanced approach and a shared mindset in attacking opposing pitchers, with players capable of grinding out at-bats, hitting for average, and slugging. While he believes the talent remains, a meaningful number of players are experiencing subpar seasons. When a majority of the lineup underperforms,the impact is magnified,leading to increased pressure and players pressing,further hindering their performance.
