LAS VEGAS – Hey, maybe it’s time for a twist on that old adage: If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
Because a decade after Travis Jankowski beat Skip Schumaker out for a job, he will join him on the Rangers coaching staff.
The Rangers announced the majority of their 2026 coaching staff Wednesday afternoon, with Jankowski, a member of the 2023 World Series champs, being perhaps the most interesting name on the new roster. There are currently no empty roles on the staff, but since MLB no longer has limitations on coaching staff size, it doesn’t preclude the Rangers’ adding other coaches.
Jankowski, 34, played his last game as a major leaguer on July 8 for the New York Mets and is essentially going straight from playing to coaching. He will coach first base and is expected to also work with the Rangers outfielders. Jankowski was renowned throughout his 11-year MLB career for his defense and baserunning.
Rangers
Texas Rangers’ Travis Jankowski (16) scores on a two RBI triple hit by Marcus Semien during the second inning in Game 4 of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023, in Phoenix.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
The other additions to Shumaker’s coaching staff include former Ranger Rod Barajas, who will join as the quality control coach, bullpen coach Colby Suggs and major league hitting instructor Alex Cintron, who spent last year as Houston’s hitting coach.
They join holdovers from the 2025 staff that include bench coach Luis Ureta, Corey Ragsdale (who moves from first base to third base), lead hitting coach Justin Viele, Brett Hayes (who moves to catching instruction), assistant pitching coach Dave Bush and assistant hitting coach Seth Conner. In addition, the Rangers have promoted Jordan Tiegs from bullpen coach to become the lead pitching coach. He replaces Mike Maddux, who left the organization to take a similar position with the Los Angeles Angels.
Schumaker likes to tell the story of his sudden retirement during the spring of 2016 while with San Diego. He was locked into a battle with a young outfielder for a bench spot, but was struggling at the plate. During a spring intrasquad game, in which Barajas was the manager for the day, Schumaker grounded out and determined he was not in a position to help the Padres. He retired immediately, despite Padres manager Andy Green urging him to stick with the club and take a job as a veteran mentor.
“I couldn’t, in good conscience, take a job from a player who was better than me,” Schumaker said.
The player in question: Jankowski, then a rookie.
Other key moves on the staff were to put Viele in charge of hitters with the title of “lead hitting coach” and the promotions of Tiegs and Ragsdale.
Viele served as the No. 2 to Donnie Ecker at the start of last year and then held the title of co-hitting instructor when Ecker was replaced by Bret Boone. Ecker, dismissed at the end of April after a poor offensive start to the season, was named Baltimore’s bench coach Wednesday.
Tiegs, who joined the major league staff last season after six years in the minors, has perhaps the biggest shoes to fill, replacing Maddux. But Tiegs is well-regarded by both the pitchers he tutored through the Rangers’ player development system and by veteran starters like Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi.
Ragsdale, who will be serving under his third Rangers manager, is now the longest-tenured member of the staff. He has worked in the organization 16 years and will be starting his eighth season on the major league staff. He also oversaw the Rangers’ infield defense last year, which was spectacular. The Rangers won the AL’s team Gold Glove for fielding after setting an MLB record for fielding percentage. Marcus Semien won a Gold Glove at second. He replaces Tony Beasley, who resigned at the end of October, and had been the longest-tenured staff member.
Barajas, 50, spent three years with the Rangers as a catcher from 2004-06 and has coached for the Padres, Marlins and Angels since retiring. He was on Schumaker’s staff in Miami, as was Ureta. Both were fired when the Marlins changed managers after 2024.
The Rangers immediately hired Ureta as bench coach.
Barajas spent last season as a coach in the Angels system and was a candidate for the Angels bench coach position, but his ties to Schumaker and the Rangers’ aggressiveness after losing Maddux to their division rival won out.
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