The 2026 MLB season is quickly approaching. We are now just under one month away from the Texas Rangers kicking off their 55th season in DFW with an Opening Day battle against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The 2023 season marked the last time the Rangers and Phillies met on Opening Day, and that season turned out pretty good for Texas, so they will hope 2026 brings more of the same.

However, there are still plenty of stones to be turned before the Rangers depart for the City of Brotherly Love.

Let’s break down three questions the Rangers must answer before breaking Spring Training and getting the 2026 season underway.

No. 1 -- Who is the Fifth Starter? -- Kumar Rocker and Jacob Latz are in the midst of a highly contested position battle to see who will win the final spot in the Rangers' rotation.

Whoever it is will join a rotation that figures to be the strength of the team, with Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom leading the way, and MacKenzie Gore and Jack Leiter following.

Last season, both Rocker and Latz got a handful of starts with the big-league club, with Latz also pitching out of the bullpen for the majority of the season.

No matter which way this battle winds up, both of the young arms figure to be contributors to the Rangers' 2026 success at some point in the season.

No. 2 -- Is Josh Smith Locked in as the Starting Second Baseman? -- The only position in which the Rangers don’t seem to have a solidified starter is at second base.

After moving on from World Series hero Marcus Semien over the offseason, Texas decided to fill its newfound second base hole internally.

Josh Smith was never going to be able to reach his full potential as a super utility guy and needed to find a true position eventually, but this role was never going to be handed to him.

While it does seem like there is a very good chance Smith is the everyday second baseman, the Rangers will still need to make it official.

No. 3 -- What Does the Bench Look Like? -- Despite there not being too many starting roles open for position players, the Rangers' bench certainly has plenty of spots up for grabs.

With Cody Freeman likely not being ready for Opening Day with the big club, things have gotten a little less contested.

Texas seems likely to use Sam Haggerty as their main utility guy. But, following that, they will have to determine things like what Ezequiel Duran’s role on the team is, and whether one or both of Michael Helman and Alejandro Osuna make the team.

Additionally, the Rangers will have to find a right-handed bat to slide into the lineup with a lefty on the mound, and Joc Pederson isn’t in the lineup.

It’ll be interesting to see whether a veteran guy like Mark Canah or Jonah Bride can find a way onto the team for that purpose.

Ultimately, these questions and a few more will be at the top of the list for first-year Rangers manager Skip Schumaker and his staff to answer as things wind down in Surprise and shift over to Arlington.

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