Skip Schumaker Favorite in Rangers' Manager Search, External Candidates Not Being Eyed

After spending this season working in the Texas Rangers' front office, the organization wants to have him in the dugout as their new manager for the 2026 campaign.

Per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, Schumaker is viewed as the "focus" for the Rangers in their managerial search so much that they are "not currently" thinking about external candidates.

Texas announced on Monday that Bruce Bochy would not be returning as manager in 2026, but the team offered him a role in the front office as an advisor.

Schumaker figures to be a very popular candidate if he were to take an outside meetings. He was cited as a potential option for the Atlanta Braves during the summer when Brian Snitker's future was up in the air.

Snitker announced on Wednesday that he would be stepping down after 10 seasons in Atlanta.

MLB.com's Maria Guardado listed Schumaker as a potential candidate for the San Francisco Giants after Bob Melvin's firing.

Despite interest from other clubs, Guardado noted the Rangers are seen as the "heavy favorite" to hire Schumaker. The 45-year-old is well acquainted with the organization.

The Rangers hired Schumaker in November 2024 as a senior adviser to president of baseball operations Chris Young. His decision to sit out the managerial searches last offseason came when the only jobs that came open were the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins.

Miami's managerial job came open because Schumaker stepped down at the end of the 2024 season. The Reds acted quickly to hire Terry Francona after his one-year retirement.

The White Sox job may not have been appealing to Schumaker since it was a situation not dissimilar to the one he left in Miami with a rebuilding franchise several years away from being competitive.

Texas' opening would seem like one of the most attractive vacancies for a managerial candidate. There's a good roster nucleus already in place with Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter, Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom all under contract next season.

Schumaker spent two seasons managing the Marlins from 2023 to '24. He went 146-178, winning NL Manager of the Year in his first season after helping Miami make the playoffs with an 84-78 record.