Less than a year-and-a-half after starring in the World Series, one Texas Rangers player is headed to Triple-A.
Rangers president Chris Young revealed on Tuesday that outfielder Evan Carter has not made the Opening Day roster. Instead, Carter will be starting the 2025 season at AAA Round Rock.
“We want to get the best version of Evan, and he’s not swinging the bat at the level we know he’s capable,” said Young, per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. “We think he’s going to be a big part of our team, and we need him to be the best version of himself to help us win.
“He’s just a tremendous person and competitor of high character,” Young added of Carter. “He’s got all the intangibles. He’s going to be fine, just needs the reps. He missed a lot of time. His swing is not dialed in right now.”
The lefty-hitting Carter debuted for the Rangers late in the 2023 season and immediately had an impact. He hit .306 with five homers and 12 RBIs in just 23 regular season games. Carter then had a fantastic 2023 postseason, helping Texas win it all. He batted .300 in the playoffs with several timely hits, including setting the record for the most doubles in a single MLB postseason (nine). Most notably, Carter had a clutch two-RBI double in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros. He then fired off three more doubles in the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and provided impressive defense in left field.
But Carter then followed that up with a woeful 2024 season. He hit .188 with a .633 OPS in 45 games for the Rangers, missing significant time due to a stress reaction in his back. Carter was even worse during this year’s spring training, hitting .154 with a .419 OPS.
In the long run, Carter should be fine since he is still remarkably only 22 years old. But the Rangers, who have dealt with other issues in their outfield over the spring, feel that Carter will benefit from working out his issues in the minors to kick off the 2025 campaign.
