Best Texas Rangers Players Over The Last 25 Years
These players are worth acknowledging and praised
Greetings, Vocal readers and Rangers fans! In one of my last stories, I wrote about my personal favorite World Series teams since the year 2000. I'll have a link to that story at the end of this story. However in this story, I'll be featuring a list of some of my favorite Texas Rangers players who played between the years 2000-2024. Since 1972, the Texas Rangers have a spectacular history of having some of the best players in their organization. Sure, they had their share of ups and downs, but they're a team who's destined for excellence. In 2023, they won their first World Series title, and they're destined to win more of them down the road. I've been a Rangers fan for almost 25 years, and I can say that this is the best fanbase in the AL West and also, in the American League.
The following players that I'll be featuring on this list are in no particular order. Let me know in the comments after you have read this story who are some of your favorite Texas Rangers players in the last 25 years. Before I proceed any further, if you read this story and liked it, give it a like and subscribe to my page on here. Also, follow me on my socials. Finally, please send me a one-off tip at the end of this story to support my work as I continue to write and publish more stories.
Michael Young
The first player that I'll be discussing is someone who's in my top three Rangers players of all time. Someone I grew up watching on TV and that was Michael Young. Michael Brian Young was born on October 19, 1976. He played 14 incredible seasons in Major League Baseball for the Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers to close out his career. Young was the kind of player who was respected and loved by Rangers fans and the organization. Some of his accolades include being a seven-time All-Star, an AL Batting Champion in 2005, and a Gold Glove award in 2008. He played for the Rangers from 2000-2012 and let's not forget him being awarded the All-Star Game MVP Award in 2006. Last but not least, he's currently the Rangers' career leader in hits with 1,748. After his retirement in 2014, he was named as a Special Assistant to the General Manager and that's the role that the now 48 year old has been in since. In 2016, Michael Young was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and three years later, the team retired his number 10.
Josh Hamilton
The story of Josh Hamilton was both inspiring, yet sad. He was born in 1981 in North Carolina. Hamilton was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays with the first overall pick in 1999. However, his drug addiction had a negative effect on his career for a period of time. Hamilton finally made his MLB debut in 2007 with the Cincinnati Reds. The following year, he was traded to the Texas Rangers and was a power hitter and a huge standout for the team. His accolades include being a five-time All-Star, American League MVP and ALCS MVP, both in 2010, a three-time Silver Slugger Award, and AL Batting Champion, also in 2010. Hamilton played for the Los Angeles Angels and for the Rangers again before retiring. With his achievements came huge problems for Hamilton. He has battled drug addiction throughout his life and career, which he has been open about. As a life-long Rangers fan, I've never made fun of his struggles, because I chose the empathetic route. He's an example of someone who makes mistakes and aren't perfect. He had several relapses and also wrote a book called Beyond Belief, where he discussed giving up drugs and found God. He was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame in 2019. Josh Hamilton is now 43 years old, and I wish him nothing but the best in life.
Elvis Andrus
Being the life of the party was something Elvis Andrus did well during his time with the Texas Rangers. Born Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres on August 26, 1988, in Venezuela, His positive presence on the field is one of the reasons why many Rangers fans loved him. He made his MLB debut with the Rangers on Opening Day in 2009. Andrus was known for playing practical jokes and forming a friendship with a now Baseball Hall of Famer, who I'll feature near the end of this story. The former shortstop was with the Rangers for 12 seasons, from 2009 to 2020. The two-time All-Star was traded to the Athletics in 2021 and then concluding his career with the Chicago White Sox. In 2024, Andrus announced his retirement from Major League Baseball. In September of that year, he signed a one-day contract with the Rangers and retired with the team. In July 2019, Andrus became a United States citizen. Now at age 36, Andrus is a Pre and Post-Game Analyst for the recently created Rangers Sports Network. Also, he'll be inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame sometime this season.
Ian Kinsler
Ian Kinsler had one of the best postgame handshakes in MLB. This former second baseman was born on June 22, 1982, in Tuscon, Arizona. He made his MLB debut with the Rangers on Opening Day 2006. Kinsler's accolades includes becoming a four-time All-Star, winning a Gold Glove Award twice, and a World Series title in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox. He played for five different MLB teams and was one of many candidates for the 2025 Hall of Fame Class, but was unfortunately not selected as one of the inductees. 2009 was a excellent year for Kinsler for a reason. On April 15 of that year against the Baltimore Orioles as a Texas Ranger, he hit for the cycle: five runs and four extra base hits. To those who aren't familiar with what a cycle is in baseball, it's when a batter hits a single, double, triple, and a home run in the same game. Kinsler played for the Rangers from 2006-2013. In 2017, he won a gold medal in the World Baseball Classic in Los Angeles, representing the United States. He competed in the World Baseball Classic in 2023 and was a manager for Team Israel. Now at age 42, Kinsler, who is Jewish, has been an Israeli citizen since March 2020.
Hank Blalock
I wouldn't consider the former third baseman as a forgotten Texas Rangers player, but he was a player who needs more recognition these days. I enjoyed watching him on TV and was an underrated player. The two-time All-Star was born on November 21, 1980 in San Diego, California. In 1999, the Rangers drafted him in the third round. He played for the Rangers from 2002-2009 before concluding his career with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010. The now 44 year old resides in San Diego.
Nelson Cruz
Born on July 1, 1980 in the Dominican Republic, Nelson Ramón Cruz Martínez Jr. is a former designated hitter and right fielder who played for eight different MLB teams, including the Rangers. His accolades includes becoming a seven-time All-Star, ALCS MVP in 2011, winning the Silver Slugger Award four times, and the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award in 2021. Plus, he won a gold medal in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, representing the Dominican Republic. Many Rangers fans won't like this Nelson Cruz moment that I'm about to mention and I apologize in advance, but I feel like it's necessary. In Game 6 of the 2011 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, he hit a home run to make the score 6-4 Texas. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Rangers were one out away from winning their first World Series title. However, Cruz missed a fly ball that would've clinched the championship. It caused the Cardinals to come back and win that game and also Game 7 to win the World Series. This devastating moment left a bitter taste in the mouths of Rangers fans for over a decade. When the Rangers won their first World Series title in 2023, a weight was finally lifted off their shoulders and fans were relieved that they didn't have to relieve another heartbreak like they did 12 years earlier. I've since forgiven Nelson Cruz. I believed that he had been punished enough and fans were being too harsh towards him back then. He officially announced his retirement in 2023 and the following year, he signed a one-day contract to retire as a Seattle Mariner. He's now 44 years old and has been a United States citizen since 2018.
Yu Darvish
Before Shohei Ohtani made a name for himself in Major League Baseball, Yu Darvish was a player who had serious skills and grit. Born on August 16, 1986, Farid Yu Darvish Sefat (ダルビッシュ・セファット・ファリード・有, Darubisshu Sefatto Farīdo Yū, known professionally as Yu Darvish (ダルビッシュ 有), is a Japanese pitcher with such remarkable talent. One thing to note is that he was born to a Japanese mother and an Iranian father. Darvish started his professional career with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (北海道日本ハムファイターズ, Hokkaidō Nippon-Hamu Faitāzu), which lasted from 2005 to 2011. His MLB debut began in April 2012 and in his first start against the Seattle Mariners, he threw for 5 2/3 innings, gave up eight hits, five runs, four walks, and struck out five in his first MLB win. The five-time All-Star played for the Rangers until 2017 before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Unfortunately, he fell victim to the Houston Astros cheating scandal that occurred during that year's World Series. Darvish is now 38 years old and has been with the San Diego Padres since 2021. In September 2024, Darvish became the first Japanese-born player to record 2,000 strikeouts.
Adrián Beltré
For the final entry on my list, I saved this former Rangers player for last. Adrián Beltré Pérez was born on April 7, 1979 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The former third baseman, who was regarded as one of the best in that position of all time. Beltré played for four different MLB teams over 21 fantastic seasons. The four-time All-Star was well loved and respected by Rangers fans. He and fellow teammate, Elvis Andrus, had a great friendship. They were joined at the hip and was one of the best baseball duos in the league. Andrus would play practical jokes towards him, including touching his head, which he disliked so much. Beltré's accolades and achievements include winning the Gold Glove Award five times, winning the Silver Slugger Award four times, and was part of the 2011 World Series team. Plus, he hit for the cycle three separate times in his career, (2008, 2012, 2015), making him among the six players to accomplish this feat. In November 2018, Beltré announced his retirement from Major League Baseball. One year later, his number 29 was retired by the Rangers and was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame. In 2024, Beltré was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He has a great friendship with former Mariners teammate, Félix Hernández. Beltré is now 45 years old and Rangers fans will always remember him as someone who loved the game with all his heart.
About the Creator
Mark Wesley Pritchard
You can call me Wesley. Former cosplayer, retro gaming fanatic, die-hard Texas Rangers fan, and nostalgic freak. Need I say more?
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