2026 will need to be a big year for many Rangers, but perhaps not many more than the now former super utility man, Josh Smith.
2026 will need to be a big year for many Rangers but perhaps not many more than now former super utility man Josh Smith.
After not really having a true positional home throughout his entire big-league career thus far, Smith figures to get a bulk of the reps at second base in 2026 after Marcus Semien was traded to the New York Mets.
Coming off a Silver Slugger winning season in 2024, Smith struggled down the stretch in 2025, hitting .251 with ten home runs and 35 RBI.
If one thing remained consistent for Smith no matter where he was playing, it was his strong defense.
Smith made plays no matter where he was on the diamond and that will be key in 2026 as he takes over for last season’s American League gold glove winner.
In a similar way to 2025, the Rangers will be relying on bounce back seasons from in-house players and Smith is certainly near the top of that list.
Now that Smith will be getting some more regular playing time at a more set position, it’ll be interesting to see if he can put together a full productive season at the plate.
If he can, that will give the Rangers lineup some much needed length and certainly help them push to return to the postseason.