The Texas Rangers recently fired manager Bruce Bochy after three seasons at the helm, which included a World Series title in 2023.
And now, Texas has found a replacement.
Skip Schumaker has been named the Rangers’ new manager after he worked in their front office over the past year. He previously was the bench coach for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals and managed the Miami Marlins, winning the 2023 NL Manager of the Year Award.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, no external candidates were interviewed, which gave Schumaker the inside track to claim the job after Bochy’s dismissal.
What hiring Skip Schumaker to manage means for the Rangers
Schumaker is a former player, having spent 11 years in the league with the Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. He won two World Series titles in St. Louis.
The Rangers now have a younger manager — Schumaker is 45, while Bochy is 70 — who is in touch with the modern game and understands how to blend analytics with old-school thinking. They also have somebody who has spent the entire year getting to know the organization and establishing himself in it.
The former Manager of the Year helped turn the Marlins around in 2023. They had gone 69-93 in 2022 before he took over, and he guided them to an 84-78 season and a wild-card berth the next year.
The Rangers have missed the postseason two years in a row since winning their World Series title. Given Schumaker’s track record, it’s very possible that Texas could have a quick turnaround and bounce right back into contention with him at the helm.
Hiring Schumaker alone won’t fix their issues, but having a proven leader would be most beneficial for Texas. Schumaker is known to be a player’s manager and should easily connect with the clubhouse and gain the team’s respect quickly. A younger manager would also help the Rangers stay up to speed with the modern-day game.
Texas went 81-81 this past season and finished in third place in the AL West, nine games back of the Seattle Mariners and five games back in the wild-card race.
