The 2023 Texas Rangers baseball season is highly anticipated after another busy offseason of player transactions by the front office. As Rangers fans look forward to spring training and the beginning of the new campaign, they also eagerly await the release of collectible baseball cards featuring their favorite Rangers players.
The 2023 Texas Rangers roster underwent significant changes in the offseason as the organization works to build a competitive team for the future. Many of the franchise’s young prospects are expected to continue developing at the major league level, while several impact veterans were also added to provide leadership. Naturally, collectors will want to obtain cards showing off these new Rangers and tracking their progress throughout the coming season.
Top Rangers rookie cards to watch for in 2023 include shortstop/third baseman Josh Jung, who had a cup of coffee in the majors last season. Jung is considered one of the club’s blue-chip prospects and his rookie cards could gain value if he breaks out. Fellow youngsters like outfielders Ezequiel Duran and Bubba Thompson also just debuted in 2022 and their sophomore rookie cards will be of interest. Pitchers like Cole Ragans, Jack Leiter, and Owen White may receive sizable card releases as well if they establish themselves on the Rangers staff.
Among the prominent veterans added by Texas, shortstop Corey Seager stands out as the biggest acquisition and likelyFace of the Franchisefor collectors. Seager signed a 10-year, $325 million deal to be the club’s everyday shortstop, replacing Isiah Kiner-Falefa who was traded. His Rangers rookie cards in uniform will be hot commodities. Outfielder Mitch Garver also joined via trade and provides a proven left-handed bat, making his Rangers singles desirable. Starting pitchers Martin Perez and Jake Odorizzi bolster the rotation and their Rangers cards hold value.
Established Rangers stars like Adolis Garcia, Jonah Heim, Marcus Semien, and Nathaniel Lowe will see continued cardboard releases chronicling their contributions. Garcia in particular had a breakout All-Star season in 2021 and collectors will want to track if he can sustain that performance level. Prospects like 3B/OF Davis Wendzel, RHP Ricky Vanasco, and SS Luisangel Acuna represent some of the organization’s most exciting talents further down in the minors who could earn rookie card mentions.
The flagship product from Topps remains the most prominent Texas Rangers baseball card release each year. Within the Topps Series 1 set typically released in late March/early April, fans can expect base versions of all the notable Rangers to be included along with parallels, short prints, and autographs or memorabilia cards of the top players inserted at random. Topps Chrome also debuts refractors of the Rangers around the same time for those chasing the super shiny refractor parallel subset.
Bowman is baseball’s premiere prospect card brand and tends to feature more in-depth rookie card coverage of the Rangers farm system than other companies. Bowman Draft from this past June highlighted many of the club’s 2022 draftees like shortstop Chandler Pollard and outfielder Justin Crawford. Bowman Platinum offers high-end parallels and autographed prospects as well.
Donruss opts for flashy foil photos on its base cards of the Rangers in comparison to Topps’ more traditional design aesthetic each year. Panini generally focuses on parallels, patches, and on-card autographs of the Rangers stars in its products like Donruss Optic and Prizm.
While the results on the field remain to be seen, Rangers fans and collectors figure to stay dedicated in documenting the progress of the rebuilt roster throughout the 2023 season with new cardboard releases. Young talents looking to establish themselves and big offseason additions adding star power make for an intriguing combination of players to chase.
