The Texas Rangers are facing another major offseason shakeup after a season that fell well short of expectations. Just three years after lifting their first World Series trophy, the team has missed the playoffs for the third straight year. An 80-82 finish in 2026 has raised serious questions, and the Rangers are now making big moves to get their championship hopes back on track.

With high expectations still surrounding the club, Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young has announced several changes ahead of the 2027 season. Assistant hitting coach Alex Cintrón will no longer work in his full-time role. Assistant pitching coach Dave Bush will also leave the Major League coaching staff. Meanwhile, the Rangers are looking outside the organization for a new assistant hitting coach who will work alongside lead hitting coach Justin Viele.

The changes do not stop with the coaching staff. Texas has also promoted Nick Hundley, Mike Parnell, and Hamilton Wise to vice president roles in its baseball operations department. The three executives will take on bigger responsibilities in player development, professional personnel, and scouting.

These decisions come after a season in which the Rangers improved their offensive numbers but still failed to finish with a winning record. Injuries to key players and poor performances on the road also hurt their chances of reaching the playoffs.

One of the biggest changes involves Alex Cintrón, who will not return as the Rangers’ full-time assistant hitting coach in 2027. He will continue to work with the Major League team and the wider hitting department in a different role.

“This was a choice Alex made to balance what’s best for him at this point,” Young said. “We thought AC did a great job last year, and we hate that he’s not coming back as the assistant hitting coach. But we are excited for him and the role he’ll be in, and excited that he’ll make a meaningful impact to our hitting department, not just with the Major League team but in the system as well.” 

Cintrón joined the Rangers before the 2026 season after spending nine years with the Houston Astros. He worked as a Major League coach in 2017, a first-base coach in 2018, and the Astros’ hitting coach from 2019 to 2025.

His experience made him an important addition to a Texas offense that had struggled for two straight seasons. The 2022 season was especially successful, as the Astros won the World Series after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in the final. 

As for Bush, he will not return as the assistant Major League pitching coach for the 2027 season. He joined the Rangers’ Major League coaching staff in November 2024. However, the team has not announced whether he will take up another role within the organization. 

Texas has also decided not to hire another coach specifically to replace Bush. The rest of manager Skip Schumaker’s coaching staff is expected to return.

So, this was all about the changes within the organization, but there is also a possibility of someone from outside joining the team. While the Rangers do not plan to replace Bush, they are actively searching for another assistant hitting coach.

Justin Viele will enter his third season with Texas in 2027 and continue to lead the team’s hitting department. He joined Texas in November 2024 after working as the San Francisco Giants’ co-hitting coach. The Rangers are interviewing candidates to work alongside him. However, Chris Young confirmed that all the candidates considered so far have come from outside the organization.

However, the Rangers’ offensive department will need more than just a new assistant coach to solve its problems. A closer look at the team’s numbers from the last two seasons explains why.

According to MLB’s season statistics and the numbers included in the Rangers’ coaching announcement, Texas improved in most major offensive categories compared with 2025.

The Rangers showed improvement in most offensive categories in 2026 compared to 2025. Texas improved from 92 in 2025 to 102 in 2026, moving from a below-average offense to a slightly above-average one. The team also improved its batting average from .234 to .242, on-base percentage from .302 to .317, and slugging percentage from .381 to .396. 

However, there was one area where the Rangers went backwards. Despite these improvements, they scored only 673 runs in 2026, compared with 684 runs in 2025.

That number highlights one of the team’s biggest problems. Even though several offensive numbers improved, Texas could not turn that progress into more runs or a winning season.

The Rangers finished 25th in MLB in runs scored in 2026. Their slugging percentage also ranked tied for 21st.

The team’s 2025 numbers were even worse. According to MLB’s January 2025 report, Texas ranked 25th in wRC+, 26th in batting average, 26th in on-base percentage, 26th in slugging percentage, 22nd in runs scored, and 23rd in walk rate.

There was clear progress in 2026, but it was not enough for a team that wants to compete for another World Series title.

Three front office executives receive major promotions

The Rangers have also made three important changes to their baseball operations department.

Nick Hundley has received a promotion to vice president of player development. Mike Parnell will become the vice president of professional personnel, while Hamilton Wise will take over as vice president of amateur and international scouting.

Five seasons in the Texas front office. Two roles: special assistant to Chris Young, then senior advisor of baseball operations. Hundley has been a quiet constant in a room that has seen plenty of turnover.

Before joining the front office, he also worked with MLB for two years in 2020 and 2021.

“I’m very excited for Nick. Nick is extremely talented. Nick’s had opportunities to manage at the Major League level, and has remained a Ranger,” Young said. 

His promotion gives the Rangers an experienced baseball figure to lead their player development department. It also allows general manager Ross Fenstermaker to focus on other areas, as he previously had responsibility for player development.

Parnell’s promotion also rewards his long service with the organization. He has spent 13 seasons with the Rangers after joining the club as an intern in 2014. He will now oversee the team’s professional personnel operations.

“Hamilton has been a tremendously impactful member of our front office team, though maybe not as visible,” Young said. “That said, this promotion is a tremendous growth opportunity. We love what he has done on the international side in terms of not just the management of his staff, but the strategy, the systems he’s put in place.” 

Now the question is, why so many changes? 

The Rangers started the 2026 season with hopes of returning to the postseason under new manager Skip Schumaker. Instead, they finished with an 80-82 record and missed the playoffs for the third straight season after winning the 2023 World Series.

Injuries played a big part in their disappointing campaign. Corey Seager was missed because of two back injuries and a concussion, and Wyatt Langford suffered soft-tissue injuries.

Josh Jung, who was arguably the team’s most productive hitter, missed over a month with a calf strain. He also suffered a right-hand fracture near the end of the season.

However, Chris Young did not blame the entire season on injuries. He also pointed to the team’s poor consistency and its struggles away from home.

Texas finished the season with a 35-46 road record. 

“You can’t be as under .500 on the road as we were and say that we were as tough as we needed to be,” Young said. “I mean, it would be disingenuous in suggesting that. There were times where we did, and there were times where the team showed great fight and great resilience, but the consistency of it wasn’t to the level that was needed for us to be a playoff team.”

The result was especially disappointing because the Rangers had won their first World Series title in 2023. They defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 in the championship series. That remains the only World Series championship in franchise history.

The Rangers will need several important players to step up if they want to return to the postseason in 2027.

Corey Seager remains central to their offense, while Wyatt Langford and Josh Jung will also have important roles after showing their potential last season. Ezequiel Duran was another bright spot in 2026. 

However, Evan Carter’s fitness is a concern. MLB reporter Kennedi Landry reported that he underwent right hip surgery to treat a labral injury and hip impingement. 

According to the official MLB schedule, Texas will open its campaign against the Houston Astros on March 25, 2027. The team will then travel to Seattle before returning to Arlington for its home opener against the Athletics on April 1.

The coaching changes, front office promotions, and other offseason decisions will all play an important role in shaping Texas’ plans for the new season. For now, Chris Young and the organization have decided to keep most of Skip Schumaker’s coaching staff while making targeted changes to the hitting department. They have also strengthened their leadership in scouting and player development.

After finishing with just 80 wins in 2026, the Rangers have plenty of work ahead of them. Their biggest challenge now will be turning these changes into better results and building a team that can return to October baseball.

What do you think? Will the Texas Rangers turn things around in 2027? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.