The Texas Rangers wanted to make a statement this season, one that would show their fans that they meant business.

With a decent record to start the 2026 MLB season, the team is showing signs of marked improvement from last season. 

Yet the Rangers find themselves down a spot to No. 14 in the latest MLB Power Rankings as delivered by The Athletic. The rankings came out on April 7, right after Texas had played a series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Andy McCullough of The Athletic pointed out that Brandon Nimmo has gotten off to a pretty good start with his new team this season.

"Nimmo has provided the sort of offense that the front office hoped to receive when they dealt away infielder Marcus Semien this past offseason," McCullough wrote. "He probably won’t bat .389 all season, but fellow outfielder Wyatt Langford probably won’t hit .150 all year, either.

"(If last year was any indication, Joc Pederson may continue hitting .059.)," McCullough continued. "At the very least, Nimmo has provided a spark as the leadoff hitter for new manager Skip Schumaker.

"He was one of the few Rangers able to get on base this past weekend during a dreary series against Cincinnati," McCullough wrote. "The Rangers managed only four runs while getting swept by the Reds."

While there is room for improvement, the Rangers are doing their best to wipe away memories of the past couple of seasons. Rangers fans and players, of course, want to get back into the MLB playoff picture right now.

The feeling of winning a World Series championship in 2023 is still fresh in some players' minds. Getting another World Series title, though, isn't as easy as it appears on the surface.

Schumaker spent last season watching the Rangers play from a box seat. He served as senior adviser to Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young. It's hard not to believe that Schumaker and Young weren't exchanging notes at different times.

Well, speaking of the World Series, the Rangers can get a good test regarding where they stand record-wise this season starting on Friday night. Texas will open a three-game weekend series in the City of Angels against the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

If Texas wants to be taken seriously as a World Series possibility in 2026, then this weekend's series at Dodger Stadium can go a long way to improving perceptions.

After the series in Los Angeles wraps up, the Rangers head north to Sacramento, Calif., for a four-game series against the Athletics.

Yes, it's going to be awhile before Texas gets back to the friendly confines of Globe Life Field. Maybe they can win a few of their upcoming games and improve where they currently sit in the MLB Power Rankings.

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