who would’ve thought? ezequiel duran has bcome the rangers’ mvp

There may be a new fan favorite in Rangers Land.

Ezequiel Duran, a.k.a The Solution, has been a one-of-one within the Rangers’ offense in 2026. He has been consistent, available, clutch, everywhere, and magnificent!

Every game, he’s contributing something special. Whether it’s laying out full extension at [insert position here] to retire a hitter, heaving bullets from the outfield to nail a runner at the plate, or launching line drives to right-center to walk-off an opponent. Duran has stood out from the pack this season, putting forth a campaign that will likely earn him Rangers Player of the Year honors.

His numbers are strong, ranking top three on the team in hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, stolen bases, SLG, and batting average. And if you’re wondering how Duran’s impact compares to the rest of baseball, know that he ranks fourth in MLB in Wins Above Replacement, according to Fangraphs.

The only position players with a higher fWAR than Ezequiel Duran (5.0) this season:

Pete Crow-Armstrong
Bobby Witt Jr.
Yordan Alvarez

He's having one of the best all-around seasons in all of baseball! pic.twitter.com/QqZnAKbFq2

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) September 5, 2026

Perhaps the most important numbers: his 132 games played and seven positions played.

Only Brandon Nimmo (136) and Jake Burger (135) have played more games than Duran in 2026. If a team is to be successful, it must have its top-performing players in the lineup as much as possible. That has been the case with Duran and the Rangers. Not only has he performed at a high level, but he has done so routinely across an entire season.

What he has not done routinely: play one position.

Games played by position for Ezequiel Duran in 2026:

• Shortstop: 50 games
• Third Base: 43 games
• Second Base: 30 games
• Left Field: 21 games
• Right Field: 14 games
• Center Field: 9 games
• First Base: 3 games

Note: The above indicates games played, not games started. Throughout the year, Duran has started at one position and finished the game at another. This in-game versatility has allowed Rangers manager Skip Schumaker to favor certain matchups based on the opponent’s pitching mix or late-inning situations on offense. In other words, Duran has afforded Schumaker more options to win ballgames.

Duran has also stepped in impressively for injured players such as shortstop Corey Seager, who has missed 60 games this season, and most recently for third baseman Josh Jung, who has been out since late July.

It is difficult to imagine where the Rangers would be without Duran this season. Likely out of contention or in Mariners’ territory, hanging on by a thread at ten games under .500 and in need of a miraculous September to reach the postseason.

He has been Texas’ most valuable player, by a wide margin.

Duran may also be the greatest story to emerge from the Rangers’ 2026 season. Hopefully postseason success triumphs over any individual storylines once the season wraps, but there is no overlooking the tremendous progress he has made.

We’re talking about a player who was fighting for a roster spot in spring training, who started the season on the bench behind two Joshs (Smith and Jung) on the depth chart.

We’re talking about a player who hit .224 with no home runs and 14 RBI in 90 games last season, and hit .246 with three home runs and 20 RBI two seasons ago.

It didn’t take long in 2026 for the fan mindset to shift from “why would we play him?” to “where else can we play him?”

This 2026 version of Duran was not supposed to happen. But thank goodness it has, as he’s made this season more interesting and is perhaps the leading reason the Rangers, with 20 games remaining, still have a decent shot at the playoffs.