Skip Schumaker gives Tony La Russa flowers for shaping his career

The Texas Rangers are looking to take control of the American League West race even though they have been less than impressive in the early part of the season. The Rangers have a 16-16 record and that puts them just 1/2 game behind the Athletics in a an AL West division that has not seen any of the teams establish consistency.

"I was lucky enough to watch the best manager in the world in Tony La Russa."

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker speaks on his early-career experiences and how they shaped him to be the manager that he is today. pic.twitter.com/1862yv8ifI

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 3, 2026

However, the Rangers are hoping that manager Skip Schumaker’s lineup can turn things around in the coming weeks and move past the Athletics and hold off the Seattle Mariners and the Houston Astros.

The Rangers are hoping that Jake Burger, Brandon Nimmo, Corey Seager and Josh Jung can give the offense a consistent boost. Seager has a team-leading 6 home runs while Burger has contributed 5 home runs and 19 runs batted in. Jung is hitting .321 with 4 home runs and 19 RBI while Nimmo, the former New York Met, is hitting .302 with 4 home runs.

Schumaker credits his former manager Tony La Russa with helping him become an effective manager at the big-league level. He said that playing for La Russa gave him a chance to observe how an excellent manager prepares and then runs the game. “I got to see the best manager navigate a game,” Schumaker said. “I was a bench player, and I didn’t want to be, but I got to see how he made every move. I also had plenty of teammates helping me with one of the best organizations as well as a Hall of Fame manager.”

The Rangers are in the midst of a crucial road trip that has them in Detroit and will see them go to Yankee Stadium for a three-game series.

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