Rangers name Skip Schumaker as new manager: Former NL Manager of the Year moves from front office to bench

The Texas Rangers have named Skip Schumaker as their new manager, the club announced on Friday. The move comes days after the team and former manager Bruce Bochy, who in 2023 led Texas to its first World Series title in franchise history, mutually agreed to part ways.

“We are thrilled to announce this promotion and have Skip leading this club in the dugout,” said Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young in a statement released by the team. “Over his past year as a senior advisor to our baseball operations group, Skip has proven to be driven, passionate and thorough in everything he does. He has a winning spirit and energy, and we are fortunate that someone so highly regarded in the industry has agreed to become our manager.

“We have enjoyed getting to know Skip and his family since he joined the organization last year, and we look forward to welcoming his wife Lindsey and the entire Schumaker family to the Metroplex.”

Schumaker, 45, becomes the 21st manager in franchise history. He previously managed the Miami Marlins for two seasons, including a 2023 campaign in which he guided them to 84 wins and a postseason berth. That earned him National League Manager of the Year honors. After that season, the Marlins under a new front office pivoted to a rebuild, and Schumaker stepped down after a 100-loss season in 2024. Schumaker spent this past season as a senior advisor within the Rangers’ baseball operations department. Upon joining the organization, he was widely regarded as the heir apparent to Bochy. 

“I am honored and excited for this opportunity to manage the Rangers,” said Schumaker in that same statement. “While I attained a good understanding of the organization through my front office role this past season, the conversations with Chris Young, Ross Fenstermaker, and others this week have only intensified my interest in this opportunity. I can’t wait to begin the work for 2026.”

Schumaker inherits a Rangers club with a compelling mix of young and veteran talent. However, the roster disappointed in 2025 with an 81-81 finish and third-place status in the American League West. 

Prior to his coaching, managerial, and front-office career, Schumaker spent parts of 11 seasons as an infielder and outfielder in the majors, mostly with the St. Louis Cardinals.