ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers have hit 11 leadoff home runs this season, the most in franchise history. Ezequiel Durán hit the 11th on Wednesday afternoon, turning on a 1-1 slider from Jacob Lopez and driving it a Statcast-projected 406 feet over the left-field wall at Globe Life Field. It was the first leadoff homer of Durán’s career.
Most of the other 10 belong to Joc Pederson. He had 7 through Aug. 11, third-most in the majors that day behind Shohei Ohtani and James Wood.
Marcus Semien holds the Rangers’ individual single-season record with 10 leadoff home runs in 2023. Pederson’s total through Aug. 11 was tied for second-most in a season in club history, a list that reaches back through the years the franchise spent as the Washington Senators.
Joc Pederson’s Move To The Leadoff Spot On May 12
Pederson hit .181/.285/.328 with 9 home runs in 96 games in 2025, his first season in Texas. Among the 277 players with at least 300 plate appearances, he finished last in batting average. He was hitting .225 with 25 strikeouts and 5 extra-base hits through 37 games this year. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker moved him to the leadoff spot on May 12.
Pederson’s account of the change came in an interview with MLB.com. He has led off for most of his career, and he calls last season a blunder.
“Not really, no,” Pederson said. “I think I just started feeling good. And like I said, I’ve kind of done it my whole career. I know I didn’t hit last year, but it was a blunder.”
Pederson is in the second season of a two-year, $37 million contract that carries a mutual option for 2027. He is a two-time All-Star and a two-time World Series champion. His father, Stu Pederson, played in the majors.
Pederson’s 2026 average sits at .240 with a .794 OPS. He is a career .237 hitter with a .798 OPS across more than 1,400 games.
“I just kind of do it. I don’t know how I do it,” Pederson explained. “If I knew that, then I wouldn’t have sucked all last year, or ever.”
Schumaker said in August that the Rangers were scuffling offensively before Pederson’s comeback season, an assessment he gave after a 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 7.
“Ever since he’s gone up to the leadoff spot, it’s almost like it’s kind of changed who he’s been as a hitter for the season,” Schumaker said.
Ezequiel Durán’s 16th Home Run And Seven Positions
Durán’s homer Wednesday was his 16th of the season. He passed his previous career high of 14, set in 2023, with his 15th on Sunday at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
Entering Sunday, Durán had played 49 games at shortstop, 43 at third base, 25 at second base, 21 in left field, 13 in right field, 6 in center field, and 2 at first base. He leads the Rangers in wins above replacement, according to Baseball Reference.
The Rangers have 22 games left. They open a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday at Globe Life Field. Cal Quantrill starts. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. CT, with the game airing on Rangers Sports Network.
