Texas Rangers Player Review: Evan Carter’s 2025 Season – Flashes of Brilliance, Questions of Durability

As we dig into the Texas Rangers’ 2025 season, one name that continues to spark both optimism and concern is outfielder Evan Carter. Once seen as a cornerstone of the franchise’s future, Carter’s journey over the past two seasons has been anything but straightforward. But even with the setbacks, there’s still plenty to like – and plenty to watch – heading into 2026.

The Carter vs. Langford Debate: A Flashback

Not long ago, Rangers fans were split down the middle when asked to choose between two rising stars: Evan Carter or Wyatt Langford. Both were top-10 prospects heading into 2024, both had tantalizing tools, and both had already shown flashes of big-league impact.

Langford, the third overall pick in 2023, rocketed through the minors with video-game numbers and arrived in the majors with sky-high expectations. Carter, meanwhile, went from a little-known second-round pick in 2020 to a postseason hero in 2023, slashing .300/.417/.500 in the playoffs and helping Texas capture its first World Series title. By the time spring training rolled around in 2024, the outfield looked like it was in excellent hands.

But fast-forward to 2026, and the paths of these two young outfielders have diverged a bit.

Langford has had his bumps – a few IL stints and stretches of inconsistency – but he’s still managed to post a .247/.335/.423 line with a 121 OPS+ over 1,130 plate appearances. Add in 41 stolen bases and surprisingly strong defense, and you’ve got a player worth 9.5 bWAR across two seasons. Not bad for a guy who just turned 24.

Carter, though, has had a rougher go.

A Stop-and-Start 2025 for Carter

After missing most of 2024 with back issues, Carter came into 2025 looking to reset. He started the year in Triple-A, working on a swing adjustment aimed at reducing strain on his bat path and body. When he was called up in early May, there was hope that he could finally settle into a groove.

But the baseball gods weren’t quite done testing him.

Carter landed on the injured list three separate times in 2025, with the final blow coming when a pitch fractured his wrist and ended his season. In total, he played just 63 games at the big-league level – but unlike 2024, when he struggled to stay on the field and produce, Carter actually made the most of his time in the lineup.

He slashed .247/.336/.392 in 220 plate appearances, swiped 14 bases in 16 attempts, and played excellent defense in the outfield. His 1.9 bWAR ranked sixth among Rangers position players, and that’s in just over two months’ worth of playing time. If you prefer fWAR, he posted a 1.4 mark – still impressive given the limited action.

In other words, when Carter was healthy, he helped the Rangers win games.

The Concerns: Health and Lefties

Let’s not sugarcoat it – the questions surrounding Carter haven’t gone away. His back issues have been a concern since he was drafted, and they were the reason he opened 2025 in the minors.

He also missed time with a quad strain before the wrist injury ended his season. Even if you chalk up the broken wrist to bad luck, the durability flag is hard to ignore.

Then there’s the issue of hitting left-handed pitching. In 2025, Carter went just 2-for-23 against southpaws, with four walks and one hit-by-pitch.

That’s a .087/.250/.087 slash line. For his career, he’s 5-for-60 (.083) with no extra-base hits against lefties in the regular season.

That’s a matchup that continues to give him trouble, and it’s something he’ll need to address if he wants to become an everyday fixture in the lineup.

Still Just 23 – And Still Special

But let’s not lose sight of the big picture. Carter has played in just 131 major league games – and he’s already accumulated 4.1 bWAR. That’s not just solid; that’s impressive, especially when you consider he didn’t turn 23 until the Rangers placed him on the 60-day IL late last season.

The tools are there. The instincts are there.

The defensive value is real. And the bat – when healthy – has shown enough to believe there’s more in the tank.

If the Rangers can get 130 games a year out of Carter, even if he’s platooned or eased into certain matchups, they’ll have a valuable piece in their outfield. He may never be an ironman like Marcus Semien, but he doesn’t have to be. What Carter brings when he’s on the field – the speed, the glove, the plate discipline – makes him a player worth betting on.

Looking Ahead

Carter’s 2025 season wasn’t a breakout, but it also wasn’t a step back. It was a season that reminded us of his upside, even as it underscored the challenges ahead.

The health concerns are real. The lefty struggles are real.

But so is the potential.

He’s young. He’s talented.

And he’s already made a postseason impact most players only dream about. If the Rangers can keep him on the field – just 130 games a year – they might just have something special.

And in a sport where durability is often as valuable as talent, that’s the next big hurdle for Carter to clear.

Stay tuned – this story’s far from over.