Arlington’s Finest: 20 Rangers Legends Without a Plaque

Last Updated: October 15th, 2026 by Matthew Brown

It's kind of hard to believe that it's been over half a century since the Washington Senators became the Texas Rangers in 1972. It took them a little over 50 years to grace Arlington with its first World Series championship. Through all of that history, we wanted to look back and list some of the great contributors to this Texas institution.

From lifetime Rangers to impact players in a short span, this should be a fun collection to go through. The only requirement is that every entry cannot be in the Hall of Fame right now.

20. Michael Young: Mr. Ranger’s Missing Plaque

The great Michael Young might be as much of an icon to the franchise as any player in its history. The primary shortstop saw a number of starts at other infield positions, but always came back to his comfort zone at short.

The seven-time All-Star won the batting title in 2005 and led all of baseball in hits twice in his 14-year career. His best counting stats are his 2,375 career hits and his 441 career doubles.

Michael Young — Career	Total
G	1970
AB	7918
H	2375
HR	185
RBI	1030
SB	90
AVG	.300
OBP	.346
SLG	.441
OPS	.787
All-Star selections	7
Gold Gloves	1

19. Pete O’Brien: The Steady First Baseman

Sometimes a first baseman who can just show up to work every day and contribute at a pretty good rate is as good as it can get. Especially during the ups and downs of the 1980s for this franchise, Pete O'Brien was there to steady the ship.

There are no trophies at his house from his MLB days, but I think he knows how important he was to building a foundation for the power-hitting 1990s Rangers teams.

Pete O’Brien — Career	Total
G	1567
AB	5437
H	1421
HR	169
RBI	736
SB	24
AVG	.261
OBP	.336
SLG	.409
OPS	.745

18. C.J. Wilson: The Renaissance Man

One of the more beloved aces in franchise history, C.J. Wilson was just a good guy in the clubhouse. There's no doubt he delivered on the mound as he led MLB in starts in back-to-back seasons.

His 2011 All-Star season saw him earn a 16-7 record with a good 2.94 ERA and 206 strikeouts. Unfortunately, that led to his departure as he signed a big contract with the Angels, but the seven years he spent in Arlington will never be forgotten.

C.J. Wilson — Career	Total
W	94
L	70
ERA	3.74
G	444
IP	1430.1
SO	1259
WHIP	1.32
SV	52
All-Star selections	2

17. Will Clark: The Thrill’s Texas Chapter

For as much as Will Clark is remembered in San Francisco, we can't forget that he was a Ranger for five years in the back half of his career. The six-time All-Star earned one of those selections as a Ranger.

He held a .308 batting average throughout his time in Texas, and that helped his very good .303 lifetime average. Will did bring some of his Thrill to the Ballpark in Arlington.

Will Clark — Career	Total
G	1976
AB	7173
H	2176
HR	284
RBI	1205
SB	67
AVG	.303
OBP	.384
SLG	.497
OPS	.881
All-Star selections	6
Gold Gloves	1
Silver Sluggers	2

16. Josh Hamilton: What Could Have Been

It was just nine seasons, but the career of Josh Hamilton was certainly memorable. His offensive explosion during his five-year stint with the Rangers helped define that time period in baseball.

He earned the 2010 AL MVP with his amazing .359 batting title to go along with 32 home runs, 40 doubles, and 100 RBI. He led all players with an 8.7 WAR and became an icon of the season. His past battles with addiction added more to his story, and the community in Texas rallied around him each and every day.

Josh Hamilton — Career	Total
G	1027
AB	3909
H	1134
HR	200
RBI	701
SB	50
AVG	.290
OBP	.349
SLG	.516
OPS	.865
MVP	1
All-Star selections	5
Silver Sluggers	3

15. Julio Franco: The Ageless Wonder

Everyone who remembers Julio Franco can probably remember him as one of the oldest players in MLB history when he was 48 years of age with the Mets and Braves. However, his peak years happened 18 years earlier in Arlington.

Franco earned three straight All-Star selections and Silver Sluggers out of the five years he spent with the organization. He had the most notable season of his 23-year career in 1991 when he led all of baseball with a .341 batting average.

Julio Franco — Career	Total
G	2527
AB	8677
H	2586
HR	173
RBI	1194
SB	281
AVG	.298
OBP	.365
SLG	.417
OPS	.782
All-Star selections	3
Silver Sluggers	5

14. Elvis Andrus: The Smiling Shortstop

There aren't many players in the history of baseball who smiled more than Elvis Andrus. When Derek Jeter was still playing his Hall of Fame career, Jose Reyes was starring for the Mets, and Troy Tulowitzki was the hot shot in the league, Elvis Andrus was still my favorite shortstop of the bunch.

The joy he played with and the ease with which he made top-level actions look- this Ranger's great was so fun to watch.

Elvis Andrus — Career	Total
G	2059
AB	7772
H	2091
HR	102
RBI	775
SB	347
AVG	.269
OBP	.325
SLG	.370
OPS	.695
All-Star selections	2

13. Prince Fielder: The Big Vegetarian

One of the great sluggers of his era, Prince Fielder spent the last few years of his career in Texas. The primary first baseman saw more designated hitter starts with the Rangers as he dealt with injuries throughout his three-year stint.

Still, he had one last All-Star season in him, earning it in 2015 and bringing that career total up to an impressive six All-Star selections in just a 12-year career.

Prince Fielder — Career	Total
G	1611
AB	5821
H	1645
HR	319
RBI	1028
SB	18
AVG	.283
OBP	.382
SLG	.506
OPS	.888
All-Star selections	6
Silver Sluggers	3

12. John Wetteland: The First Great Closer

The Rangers have had a pretty good history of closers through the years and I want to use this entry to highlight them. Neftali Feliz might be the first to come to the minds of Rangers fans, as he dazzled with electric stuff. Then there's Jeff Russell and Francisco Cordero, each doing great work in their respective stints.

Even Joe Nathan gave them a couple of All-Star seasons. But it was John Wetteland who got more saves than all of them in a Ranger uniform. His 150 in four years is astounding, earning him back-to-back All-Star selections before the turn of the century.

John Wetteland — Career	Total
W	48
L	45
ERA	2.93
G	618
IP	765.0
SO	804
WHIP	1.13
SV	330
All-Star selections	3
World Series titles	1

11. Rusty Greer: The Diving Wonder

A consummate professional, Rusty Greer was a reliable left fielder for all nine years of his career. He stayed committed to Arlington as a career Ranger, maintaining a .305 lifetime batting average that contributed to a very good 119 OPS+.

Greer will always be lovingly remembered for his diving catch as a rookie in 1994 that saved a perfect game for the next player on this list.

Rusty Greer — Career	Total
G	1027
AB	3829
H	1166
HR	119
RBI	614
SB	31
AVG	.305
OBP	.387
SLG	.478
OPS	.865

10. Kenny Rogers: The Gambler’s Glory

Sharing a name with a country music legend was not the only thing that Kenny Rogers was known for. He was a four-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner.

He spent 12 years with the Rangers over three separate stints. He just always found his way back to Texas, thanks to the memories he made there. Rogers pitched the 14th perfect game in the history of baseball in 1994, which will never be forgotten.

Kenny Rogers — Career	Total
W	219
L	156
ERA	4.27
G	762
IP	3302.2
SO	1968
WHIP	1.40
SV	28
All-Star selections	4
Gold Gloves	5
World Series titles	1

9. Charlie Hough: The Knuckleball King

For all the fame the knuckleball got from Phil Niekro, Charlie Hough was right there with him, making his pitches dance in the air. He spent the best 11 years of his 25-year career with the Rangers, earning an All-Star selection at the age of 38 in 1986.

He led the league in starts twice, complete games once, and innings pitched once, all during his time in Texas.

Charlie Hough — Career	Total
W	216
L	216
ERA	3.75
G	858
IP	3801.1
SO	2362
WHIP	1.30
SV	61
All-Star selections	1

8. Toby Harrah: The Original Rangers Star

Toby Harrah spent his rookie season with the Washington Senators and made the move to the organization in Texas. He followed that up with his first All-Star season, becoming one of the premier shortstops in the American League.

Harrah would go on to total three All-Star selections as a member of the Rangers, totaling 1,174 hits in 11 years.

Toby Harrah — Career	Total
G	2155
AB	7402
H	1954
HR	195
RBI	918
SB	238
AVG	.264
OBP	.365
SLG	.395
OPS	.760
All-Star selections	4

7. Ian Kinsler: The Spark Plug Supreme

If there were ever a spark plug from the second base position, I think Ian Kinsler would be at or near the top of that list. The four-time All-Star earned three of those selections during the first eight years of his career as a Ranger. 1,145 of his 1,999 career hits came in his eight seasons in Texas as he became one of the premier second basemen in the league.

His two 30-30 seasons really showcased his unique mix of power and speed for his position and made him valuable for the rest of his career.

Ian Kinsler — Career	Total
G	1888
AB	7423
H	1999
HR	257
RBI	909
SB	243
AVG	.269
OBP	.337
SLG	.440
OPS	.777
All-Star selections	4
Gold Gloves	2
World Series titles	1

6. Jeff Burroughs: Arlington’s First MVP

When an organization is just starting out, there are always diamonds in the rough seasons. Jeff Burroughs made sure he was a diamond in the rough because he led the Rangers out of the doldrums in just their third year in Texas, winning the AL MVP in 1974.

The Rangers would go from 57-105 the season before to 84-76 in Burroughs' magical season.

Jeff Burroughs — Career	Total
G	1689
AB	5536
H	1443
HR	240
RBI	882
SB	16
AVG	.261
OBP	.355
SLG	.439
OPS	.794
MVP	1
All-Star selections	2

5. Ruben Sierra: The Village Thunder

An MLB journeyman, Ruben Sierra was a serviceable bat for nine different teams in his 20-year career. Half of those years saw him in Texas, where he started his career.

Three of his four career All-Star appearances came as a Ranger, collecting 1,281 of his 2,152 hits with the franchise. I always thought it was pretty cool that a guy who wasn't really known for stealing bases led the MLB with 14 triples in 1989, becoming a surprising star in the process.

Ruben Sierra — Career	Total
G	2186
AB	8044
H	2152
HR	306
RBI	1322
SB	142
AVG	.268
OBP	.315
SLG	.450
OPS	.765
All-Star selections	4
Silver Sluggers	1

4. Buddy Bell: The Hot Corner Hero

Buddy Bell is one of the greatest defensive third basemen of all time. The five-time All-Star earned six Gold Gloves in his 18-year career. He led the MLB in multiple third-base defensive statistics in a number of seasons during his career.

That puts him on the cusp of getting into Cooperstown in my book. 2,514 career hits with 425 doubles and a 66.3 career WAR are at a threshold among other Hall of Fame third basemen.

Buddy Bell — Career	Total
G	2405
AB	8995
H	2514
HR	201
RBI	1106
SB	55
AVG	.279
OBP	.341
SLG	.406
OPS	.747
All-Star selections	5
Gold Gloves	6
Silver Sluggers	1

3. Jim Sundberg: The Gold Glove Guru

If it weren't for the legendary Ivan Rodriguez, Jim Sundberg would be the greatest catcher in Rangers history. The highly skilled backstop earned six straight Gold Gloves during his 12 years in Arlington.

Two out of his three career All-Star selections came as a Ranger, as he was one of the premier catchers in baseball who just didn't get enough recognition.

Jim Sundberg — Career	Total
G	1962
AB	6021
H	1493
HR	95
RBI	624
SB	20
AVG	.248
OBP	.327
SLG	.348
OPS	.675
All-Star selections	3
Gold Gloves	6
World Series titles	1

2. Rafael Palmeiro: The Quiet Thunder

If it weren't for steroids, Rafael Palmeiro would absolutely be in the Hall of Fame right now. For 20 years, the sweet-swinging first baseman did it all at the position.

He spent two separate 5-year stints with the Rangers, totaling 1,692 of his 3,020 career hits and 321 of his 569 career home runs. Those career totals are enough to make him a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but his association with steroids has left him on the outside looking in.

Rafael Palmeiro — Career	Total
G	2831
AB	10472
H	3020
HR	569
RBI	1834
SB	97
AVG	.288
OBP	.371
SLG	.515
OPS	.886
All-Star selections	4
Gold Gloves	3
Silver Sluggers	2

1. Juan Gonzalez: The Man They Called Igor

With all the iconic power hitters of the steroid era, Juan Gonzalez might be the most significantly underrated one. He dominated the 1990s with two MVP seasons, which weren't even the years he led all of baseball in home runs.

He led the Rangers to prominence in that decade, though he always seems to be forgotten whenever I see content involving this era and its best hitters. I'm sure the fans in Arlington will always remember this icon.

Juan Gonzalez — Career	Total
G	1689
AB	6556
H	1936
HR	434
RBI	1404
SB	26
AVG	.295
OBP	.343
SLG	.561
OPS	.904
MVP	2
All-Star selections	3
Silver Sluggers	6

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