Texas Rangers Reveal Opening Day Lineup Featuring Andrew McCutchen

The Texas Rangers will open their season in Philadelphia against left-hander Christopher Sanchez. First pitch is set for 3:15 p.m. CT. The game will air on Rangers Sports Network and stream on Victory+.

Sanchez was the National League Cy Young runner-up in 2025. He dominated left-handed hitters. Last year he held them to a .189 batting average, a .246 on-base percentage, a .233 slugging percentage and a .478 OPS.

Lineup decisions

The club constructed a largely right-handed Opening Day lineup. Only Brandon Nimmo, Corey Seager and Josh Smith are left-handed hitters. Evan Carter will not start. Sam Haggerty takes his place and will play left field.

Wyatt Langford moves from left to center field. Andrew McCutchen will make his Rangers debut as the designated hitter. He will start instead of Joc Pederson.

Catcher choice

Danny Jansen gets the start behind the plate. Kyle Higashioka is out of the lineup. Higashioka is 0-for-5 with three strikeouts against Sanchez. Jansen is 2-for-5 versus the same pitcher.

Matchup context and player notes

Sanchez’s OPS allowed to lefties ranked third-lowest among left-handed starters with at least 15 starts. That mark was slightly better than Tarik Skubal’s, the AL Cy Young winner. The small sample sizes against Sanchez still influenced roster choices.

McCutchen has a career .900 OPS against left-handed pitching. He also spent three seasons with the Phillies from 2019 to 2021. Brandon Nimmo has the most plate appearances against Sanchez among Rangers hitters. Nimmo is 5-for-18 with three walks, a .350 OBP in 21 trips to the plate.

Projected Opening Day lineup

For continued coverage and analysis, visit Filmogaz.com. Expect updates before and after the game.