ARLINGTON, Texas — Marcus Semien said Texas Rangers fans thanked him everywhere he went in the offseason after the 2023 World Series. It was the first championship in franchise history.
Semien, now a second baseman for the New York Mets, spoke with Abby Jones of DLLS Sports during the Mets’ three-game series at Globe Life Field. DLLS posted the interview Wednesday afternoon.
The Rangers traded Semien to New York last November for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Tuesday was his first game back in Arlington, and the Rangers played a tribute video for him after the first inning. Semien went 0-for-5 in the Mets’ 6-3 win.
A lot of the players from Semien’s old clubhouse are still with Texas.
“A lot of memories,” Semien said. “I played four years here, one world championship. That’s what I think about the most. Obviously, the relationship with the guys in that clubhouse, a lot of them are still here. Those are brothers to me still.”
“It is weird to be over here,” Semien continued. “I’ve been playing here for four years. It’s always a great place to play, so I can’t wait.”
Marcus Semien Looks Back On Corey Seager, Bruce Bochy, And The 2023 Title
Semien signed a seven-year, $175 million contract with Texas before the 2022 season. The Rangers signed Corey Seager to a 10-year, $325 million deal the same offseason. A year later, Texas added Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi in free agency.
In Semien’s telling, the pitchers were part of the core alongside Seager and himself.
“It was special,” Semien explained. “It really meant that ownership here was willing to revamp pretty much the entire team. We added Jacob deGrom the next year, Eovaldi the next year, and we’ve got some good players coming up. The core was really Adolis.”
“When I think about that team, it was Adolis, Corey, myself, and the pitchers,” Semien continued. “And I miss that team. It was definitely fun.”
In 2023, Semien played all 162 games and hit .276/.348/.478 with 29 home runs and 100 RBIs. He started the All-Star Game for the American League and won a Silver Slugger. He finished third in AL MVP voting, one spot behind Seager. In the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he homered in Games 4 and 5.
Semien called the title run the pinnacle of his career when he spoke with reporters before Tuesday’s game. The franchise began as the Washington Senators in 1961 and moved to Texas in 1972.
“Everything, man,” Semien said. “I think it was 50-some-odd, 60 years or something like that. We heard it from the fans during the parade and everywhere we went that offseason after 2023. We heard it from the fans. They’re thanking us, and it meant a lot.”
Bruce Bochy managed the Rangers from 2023 through 2025 and went 249-237. After the 2025 season, the club and Bochy mutually agreed that he would not return as manager, and Texas offered him an advisory role in the front office. Skip Schumaker manages the Rangers this season.
Bullpen usage was where Semien saw Bochy go with his gut.
“He’s such a smart manager,” Semien said. “He had such a good feel for the game. He went with his gut, especially when it came to bullpen usage. When he felt like something was going to work, he went with it.”
“It was nice to have him leading us and knowing that he was so sure what he wanted to do,” Semien continued. “We followed his lead and led to a world championship. I need to reach out to him and see how he’s doing.”
Marcus Semien On Playing Every Day And Raising Five Children
Semien played all 162 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021, when he hit a career-high 45 home runs with 102 RBIs. With Texas, he was an All-Star again in 2024 and won an AL Gold Glove in 2025. A foot injury ended his 2025 season in August.
Early in his career, Semien did not want to lose his spot.
“That was always something I learned in college and the minor leagues was make sure you’re playing, make sure you take care of your body,” Semien said. “In the minor leagues, I came up with Buddy Bell, who’s a former Ranger. I looked at his baseball card and it had a lot of 162s. He wanted us to all do that too.”
“A lot of that was him,” Semien continued. “A lot of it was I never wanted to lose my spot, so I just wanted to be out there every single day. As I get older, it is smart to take some days off every once in a while, but I love the game so much I want to be out there every day.”
The fourth child for Semien and his wife, Tarah, a daughter named Amelie, was born during the break before the 2023 American League Championship Series. Semien left the team for a couple of days for the birth and rejoined the Rangers before Game 1 against Houston.
At the start of his career, Semien said, baseball was about staying in the league.
“A lot of what I do now is I’m thinking about my kids and Tarah, my wife, as I do it,” Semien said. “As to where you think about the beginning of your career, it’s just how can I stay in this league and be successful at baseball. But yeah, the days are a little different now.”
“We have five children, and we’re homeschooling now and doing things that we never thought we’d be doing while playing baseball,” Semien continued. “But it’s been a blessing. It’s all in God’s plan. I think that success for me now means being a great husband and great father. I think that’s what you’re getting at.”
Semien missed time with an injury earlier this season. Entering Tuesday, he was hitting .219/.285/.341 with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs for New York. Two years remain on his contract after this season, and he still lives in the Dallas area.
There is no perfection in baseball for Semien.
“A lot of that is the mental toll of 162,” Semien said. “I want to win every single day, but I understand that there’s a lot of failure in this game. There’s no perfection in this game. But in order to get through a season sane, you need to kind of be the same day in and day out.”
“Failure can weigh on you,” Semien continued. “Losing can weigh on you. But it’s not everything. There’s a lot more to this world than baseball. That’s just what we do at a professional level, but we need to have fun off the field.”
The Mets are 72-85. They play the Rangers again Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. CT at Globe Life Field, with rookie right-hander Nolan McLean scheduled to start for New York. The series ends Thursday.
