Overall, 2026 will be a big year for Carter as it will be for many Rangers who are looking to prove themselves as part of the orginizations longer term plans.
When Evan Carter burst onto the scene and helped lead the Rangers to the 2023 World Series title, saying he caught the attention of the entire nation might be an understatement.
Playing in just 23 regular-season games that season, Carter hit .306 with a .413 on-base percentage and a .645 slugging percentage with five home runs and 12 RBI to go along with it.
In the postseason, Carter elevated his play, hitting .300 with a home run and six RBI while playing strong defense in left field as the Rangers won their first World Championship.
Despite things looking like Carter would be at that level for good, it hasn’t worked out that way since his breakout.
In 2024, Carter played in just 45 games due to a back injury, and in 2025 was limited to just 63 contests.
This all came for a player who didn’t play much minor league baseball before getting called up to the show.
Now, as we head into 2026, Carter will need to stay healthy in order to prove to the Rangers that they can rely on him as their everyday center fielder.
There’s no doubt that when healthy, Carter has the talent to be an all-star-level player in the big leagues.
As previously noted, health has been the biggest kicker for Carter throughout his young big league career.
Naturally, Carter is a center fielder and has said that he feels most comfortable playing in that position.
However, the Rangers have Wyatt Langford and Brandon Nimmo on their roster who are both more than capable of being everyday center fielders at the big league level.
First-year manager Skip Schumaker will have to determine which outfield setup he wants to roll into the 2025 season with.
Another struggle for Carter has been his ability to hit left-handed pitching.
Schumacher has said that he wants to be selective on when he gets Carter into the lineup against lefties, but feels that he can improve in that aspect.
Overall, 2026 will be a big year for Carter as it will be for many Rangers who are looking to prove themselves as part of the orginizations longer term plans.
A healthy and productive 2026 season could put Carter back into the limelight that he once was as a top prospect.
However, with another inconsistent year in terms of staying on the field, the Rangers could question whether they can count on their former top prospect.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!