The Rangers Mount Rushmore Even Experts Can’t Agree On

Last Updated: September 2nd, 2026 by Michael Schatz

There's just something about baseball in Texas that brings back an old school feeling. It just makes you think of hurlers rearing back and giving it all they got with every pitch. It also makes you think of some good old country power with big swings and powerful contact.

I know the Texas Rangers haven't been around as long some of the other franchises in the MLB, but there is still that spirit that you can find in some of their greatest players. Let's take a look at a list of Rangers' greats and see how they compare to a bygone era of baseball.

How We Made This List

One thing that we have to keep in mind is that there are roots in this franchise that start in Washington D.C. We took that into account while looking at the whole breadth of each player's career.

I wouldn't say that there are a lot of career Rangers that we can put on this list. So we have to weigh franchise impact and overall career production equally.

25. Kevin Brown – The Workhorse Who Became an Ace Elsewhere

The first $100 million free agent in baseball history didn't get there before spending eight seasons with the Rangers. He was a workhorse for Texas, leading the league with 21 wins in 1992 and earning his first All-Star selection.

When considering his entire body of work, Kevin Brown might be the best pitcher of his generation that isn't in the Hall of Fame.

Kevin Brown — Career	Total
W	211
L	144
ERA	3.28
G	486
IP	3256.1
SO	2397
WHIP	1.22
SV	0
All-Star selections	6
World Series titles	1

24. Pete O'Brien – Nebraska's Gift to Arlington's First Base

Pete O'Brien played was a first baseman who quietly accumulated some great numbers. In seven seasons, he racked up over 900 hits on a solid .273 batting average.

He hit 20 home runs in three straight seasons, providing the Rangers some country power as he was drafted out of the University of Nebraska.

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

23. Yu Darvish – The Japanese Sensation Who Struck Out Texas

I think we're getting to the point where Yu Darvish is being a forgotten Japanese baseball star. I know that injuries have slowed him down at times throughout his career, but Darvish has still been able to accumulate over 2,000 strikeouts in his 13-year career.

His five All-Star selections and two Cy Young runner-up finishes suggest that he has been right on the outside looking into superstardom.

Yu Darvish — Career	Total
W	115
L	93
ERA	3.65
G	297
IP	1778.0
SO	2075
WHIP	1.14
SV	0
All-Star selections	5

22. Ruben Sierra – The Switch-Hitting Puerto Rican Powerhouse

Ruben Sierra made a lot of contributions offensively over his 20-year career. He ended up playing for nine different teams, but Texas was where he called home for 10 seasons. 1,281 of his 2,152 career hits came as a Ranger.

A 116 OPS+ and three All-Star selections during his time in Arlington was his strongest, most accomplished span of his career.

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

21. Julio Franco – The Ageless Wonder's Texas Prime

Julio Franco was one of my favorite players when I would see him still play at a high level after the age of 40. That seems to be the prevailing legacy of his 23-year career. However, it was his three straight All-Star selections and Silver Sluggers as a member of the Rangers that actually prove how elite he was during his time.

A .341 average in 1991 won the batting title and propelled him into 16 more seasons after his age-32 season.

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

20. Ken McMullen – The Senators' Steady Third Base Anchor

We now highlight one of the better players from the Washington Senators era. Ken McMullen was the everyday third baseman in Washington for six seasons and provided reliable production.

The hitting was solid at a 107 OPS+ and the fielding was even better as he led all third basemen in range factor per nine innings in two separate seasons.

Ken McMullen — Career	Total
G	1583
AB	5131
H	1273
HR	156
RBI	606
SB	20
AVG	.248
OBP	.316
SLG	.383
OPS	.699

19. Mark Teixeira – The Switch-Hitting First Base Star

Mark Teixeira was one of the difference makers in Texas for five years before continuing the rest of his 14-year career with three other teams. Most remember his time with the Yankees where he led them to a World Series title, but it was in Arlington where his legacy started.

He earned an All-Star selection, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger in 2005 when he led the league in total bases with his 43 home runs, 41 doubles.

Mark Teixeira — Career	Total
G	1862
AB	6936
H	1862
HR	409
RBI	1298
SB	26
AVG	.268
OBP	.360
SLG	.509
OPS	.869
All-Star selections	3
Gold Gloves	5
Silver Sluggers	3
World Series titles	1

18. Fergie Jenkins – The Hall of Fame Curveball Master (HOF)

It's easy to remember this Hall of Famer for his 10 seasons in Chicago, but let's not forget that he spent six years with the Rangers, hurling 90 complete games. An 18-8 record in 1978 was highlighted by a 3.04 ERA, with a league-leading 3.83 strikeout/walk ratio. He was 35 at the time and still produced like the ace that Texas was looking for.

Fergie Jenkins — Career	Total
W	284
L	226
ERA	3.34
G	664
IP	4500.2
SO	3192
WHIP	1.14
SV	7
Cy Young	1
All-Star selections	3

17. Rusty Greer – The Homegrown Heart and Soul

Rusty Greer was easily a fan favorite in Arlington for nine years. Built up a .305 career batting average while regularly hitting over 30 doubles per season. His 119 OPS+ makes you wish that he could sustain his career for a longer amount of time.

Those nine years are all he had for the game of baseball as his hard style of play caught up to him in the end.

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

16. Josh Hamilton – The Comeback Kid's Magical Peak

There are few turnarounds that have brought more electricity to the game of baseball than Josh Hamilton. His battle with drugs and alcohol brought a connection to baseball fans who heard his story as he was starting to find his rhythm when he joined the Rangers.

A 134 OPS+ over his six-year span in Texas confirms that he was playing at a Hall of Fame level. Everyone knew it at the time too. That 2010 MVP season is the stuff of legend.

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. Alex Rodriguez – Three Years of Shortstop Perfection

I think there are some Rangers fans that look at Alex Rodriguez's time in Texas negatively. But I would like to remind them that those were some of his best seasons of his illustrious career. He won the MVP in 2003, hitting 47 home runs and slugging .600. Believe it or not, that was his worst season in Arlington.

He was also able to lead the league in home runs his other two seasons where he hit 57 and 52 respectively. His OPS across his three years as a Ranger was a whopping 1.011.

Alex Rodriguez — Career	Total
G	2784
AB	10566
H	3115
HR	696
RBI	2086
SB	329
AVG	.295
OBP	.380
SLG	.550
OPS	.930
MVP	3
All-Star selections	14
Gold Gloves	2
Silver Sluggers	10
World Series titles	1

14. Michael Young – The Ultimate Ranger and Face of the Franchise

Sometimes a steady presence is all the fans need on a daily basis. Michael Young brought that steady presence and added an elite level of play to it. He accumulated 2,230 hits over his 13 years in Arlington, batting .301 with a signature batting title claimed in 2005.

He earned seven All-Star selections and a Gold Glove to go along with that batting title as he just provided stability and consistency to ultimately become a Ranger legend.

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

13. Frank Howard – The Capitol Punisher's Moonshot Era

Frank Howard is one of the forgotten sluggers in baseball history. Unfortunately, it doesn't help that his best years were with a team that is no longer in existence. He led the league with exactly 44 home runs in two separate seasons.

Oddly enough, his career high of 48 home runs in between those two league-leading seasons did not lead the league. 246 home runs in his eight years in DC proves that he was a premier power hitter in all of baseball.

Frank Howard — Career	Total
G	1895
AB	6488
H	1774
HR	382
RBI	1119
SB	8
AVG	.273
OBP	.352
SLG	.499
OPS	.851
All-Star selections	4
World Series titles	1
Rookie of the Year	1

12. Elvis Andrus – The Venezuelan Wizard at Short

The Texas Rangers in the 2010s had some fun teams. It's only fitting that one of their main attractions was a guy named Elvis. The Texas shortstop was a consistent .274 hitter over his 12 seasons, earning two All-Star selections and provided solid defense. More importantly, he just brought an infectious attitude to the ballpark every single day with that big smile that could be seen from the very top of the stadium.

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

11. Kenny Rogers – The Southpaw Who Threw a Perfect Game

With a name like Kenny Rogers, you would think that he played batters like his own personal instrument. You would be mostly right. Rogers accumulated almost 2,000 strikeouts in his 20-year career. He had three separate stints with the Rangers as he kept coming back to the place that gave him his first shot.

A 17-7 record with a 3.38 ERA earned an All-Star selection. It would be the first of four in his career. He was even better as he got older, earning two All-Star selections past his 40th birthday.

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

10. Juan Gonzalez – "Juan Gone" and Two MVP Trophies

Yeah, I know that there were sluggers like Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds, but Juan Gonzalez was keeping up with the best of them during the 1990s. He became a two-time MVP with five Silver Slugger awards as a Ranger.

His 1998 was just as impressive as the home run race that was happening in the other league. He hit 45 home runs to go along with his league-leading 50 doubles. His 157 RBI also led the league that year.

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

9. Toby Harrah – From Senators to Rangers, A Decade of Excellence

Toby Harrah saw the transition from Washington to Texas as he spent 11 of his 17-year career with the franchise. He locked down the left side of the infield as a three-time All-Star with contributions all over the stat sheet.

Harrah brought the ability to hit 25 home runs, 25 doubles, and steal 25 bases all in the same year while leading the league with 109 walks. This all came in 1977 where he was making the switch from being the everyday shortstop to the everyday third baseman.

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

8. Charlie Hough – The Knuckleball King of the '80s

There are many who remember Hough spending 11 years in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. There are also fans who remember Hough spending another 11 years in the Rangers organization.

Both would be right as he spent 25 years in the MLB, knuckling his way to victory 216 times in his career. 139 of those wins actually came with the Rangers as he was more productive in his time in Arlington than anywhere else in his career.

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

7. Jim Sundberg – The Original Rangers Catcher

Reliability is so key in a good catcher. Jim Sundberg was as reliable as any during his 16-year career. 12 of those years came in the Rangers franchise as he provided stability behind the plate. He regularly played in over 140 games per season, something that you don't see from catchers these days.

He earned two All-Star selections to go along with his six Gold Glove awards. Sundberg was just the kind of catcher that any franchise would have loved to have. The Rangers were lucky that he spent most of his career with them.

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

6. Ian Kinsler – The Second Base Sparkplug

Second base is not exactly where most baseball teams find their best offensive players. For the Rangers, Ian Kinsler was as productive as any player on their roster at times.

The everyday second baseman spent eight years in Texas, totaling over 1,000 hits with 156 home runs and 249 doubles. He earned three of his four career All-Star as a Ranger and they were well earned.

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

5. Buddy Bell – Six Gold Gloves at the Hot Corner

Buddy Bell was just a star for the Rangers during the 1980s as he dazzled with the glove at third base. He earned six straight Gold Glove Awards to go along with his four All-Star selections.

He led the league in assists and fielding percentage at the position multiple times as he played one of the tougher positions in baseball. Advanced stats suggests that he had some of the best range of any third baseman at the time.

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

4. Adrian Beltre – The Dominican Third Base Maestro (HOF)

Speaking of great defensive third basemen, Adrian Beltre deservedly made it into the Hall of Fame recently. His eight years with the Rangers are actually the longest tenure with any team he played for in his 21-year career.

He earned three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers and three All-Star selections during his time in Arlington. He regularly hit over 30 doubles and 30 home runs which helped him accumulate 636 doubles and 477 home runs in his career overall.

Adrian Beltré — Career	Total
G	2933
AB	11068
H	3166
HR	477
RBI	1707
SB	121
AVG	.286
OBP	.339
SLG	.480
OPS	.819
All-Star selections	4
Gold Gloves	5
Silver Sluggers	4

3. Rafael Palmeiro – The Smooth-Swinging First Base Legend

There is no better smooth swinger than Rafael Palmeiro. I understand that one of the reasons for that is because he used steroids, but his swing was a beauty to watch nonetheless.

He spent 10 years with Texas in two separate stints. Both stints saw one All-Star selection as he just stayed steady and quietly accumulated 321 home runs and built up a 137 OPS+. Those are just his numbers as a Ranger. His 569 career home runs overall and 3,020 career hits puts them in rarefied air.

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

2. Nolan Ryan – The Ryan Express's Final Stop (HOF)

Nolan Ryan got to the Rangers when he was 42 years old. He thought that he still had a lot left in the tank and the Rangers were one of the only teams that believed him. Boy, did he prove them right.

In 1989, he had a 3.20 ERA with 301 strikeouts which led all of baseball and helped Texas to some much needed wins. It may be one of the shortest stops he made in his career but I wouldn't be surprised if many people to this day still remember him in that blue cap with a red T throwing a no-hitter.

Nolan Ryan Jr. — Career	Total
W	324
L	292
ERA	3.19
G	807
IP	5386.0
SO	5714
WHIP	1.25
SV	3
All-Star selections	8
World Series titles	1

1. Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez – The Greatest Ranger of All Time (HOF)

Pudge Rodriguez is our pick as the greatest Ranger of all time. His prodigious talent was shown early, as he earned an All-Star selection and Gold Glove at the age of 20 in 1992. He would continue to earn both of those accolades for the next nine years with six straight Silver Sluggers along the way.

Oh yeah, he was also named the MVP in 1999. That doesn't just make Pudge one of the greatest Ranger of all time. He is right up there with the greatest catchers of all time.

Ivan Rodriguez — Career	Total
G	2543
AB	9592
H	2844
HR	311
RBI	1332
SB	127
AVG	.296
OBP	.334
SLG	.464
OPS	.798
MVP	1
All-Star selections	14
Gold Gloves	13
Silver Sluggers	7
World Series titles	1

Keep reading

• Arlington’s Finest: 20 Rangers Legends Without a Plaque
• The Greatest Pitchers in Dodgers History
• Switch-Hitting’s Golden Age Is Gone Forever