Rangers cut ties with hitting coach Donnie Ecker
The Texas Rangers have parted ways with offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker, ending a four-year stint that included a World Series title but ultimately couldn’t withstand the club’s ongoing offensive slide in 2024.
The decision came hours after an 8-1 win over the Seattle Mariners, a rare offensive outburst for a team that has consistently under-delivered at the plate. Despite that victory, the Rangers sit at 17-18 and rank 25th in the majors in batting average (.228) and 26th in OPS (.644), underscoring a broader slump that has plagued the lineup all season.
Ecker, who arrived in November 2021 after stints with the Giants and Reds, was instrumental in crafting the offensive identity that powered Texas to a championship in 2023. His dismissal marks another shakeup for a team that, despite high expectations, has seen several of its big names falter at the plate.
Among the most concerning regressions: Marcus Semien and Adolis García have struggled to find consistency, while veteran Joc Pederson, brought in over the winter to boost the lineup, has failed to produce. Just days earlier, in another bold move, infielder Jake Burger, another key offseason acquisition, was optioned to Triple-A after batting .190 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 30 games.
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Even as the Rangers remain solid on the mound, their 3.44 ERA ranks seventh in MLB, the club has lacked the offensive firepower to support it. Sunday’s win over Seattle was more anomaly than trend, with Texas still stuck in the bottom tier of slugging percentage (.359). The team has yet to name a successor to Ecker, but said it will reevaluate the structure of its hitting staff in the coming days.
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