The Rangers are looking to make it back to October after missing out last season. Texas will do so with a new catching tandem, as the Rangers signed Kyle Higashioka to a two-year deal on December 2. Higashioka will head back to the AL after a career offensive season, one that saw him hit 17 home runs for the San Diego Padres.
A Look at Higashioka
The Padres acquired catcher Kyle Higashioka last winter in the Juan Soto megadeal last December. Higashioka was one of four Major Leaguers involved in the deal, and it ended a 15-year run in the Yankees organization for the Huntington Beach native. He was originally drafted by New York (AL) in the seventh round of the 2008 MLB Draft.
Higashioka was well-known for being a solid catcher behind the plate, and one who could be productive offensively in spurts. His bat, though, stole the show in 2024.
Across 84 games, Higashioka hit .220/.263/.476 with a career-high 17 home runs over 84 games. Higashioka’s bat propelled him past Luis Campusano on the depth chart. And, he wound up being a key piece in San Diego’s playoff run. The 34-year-old hit three home runs for the Padres in the playoffs, two of which came in the NL Wild Card Round.
Higashioka unlocked a new gear in June. The ex-Padre hit 16 home runs from June 1 onward. That stretch pushed Higashioka into the top five among catchers in that category. By the end of the season, he finished tied for fifth in home runs as a catcher, tied with William Contreras, Tyler Stephenson, and Ryan Jeffers.
So, what changed? Higashioka said in the summer he conversed with former teammate Giancarlo Stanton about how to avoid pulling balls foul. Stanton told Higashioka to shift his stance to become more closed, to a type of stance the former NL MVP deploys himself. Well, it worked for Higashioka, who became an offensive force for the Padres.
Behind the plate, Padres manager Mike Shildt raved over Higashioka’s ability to be “synced up” with his pitchers. He’s an above-average framer, as Higashioka has earned an estimated eight catcher framing runs over the last two season, per Statcast.
The one concern, defensively, that stands out is the pop time. His pop time was 2.02s last season per Statcast, below-average by Major League standards. Higashioka’s CS% in 2024 was 19%, half of what it was in 2022 (38%).
Per reports, the Rangers signed Kyle Higashioka to a two-year deal, worth $12.5MM. The contract also comes with a $7MM mutual option for the 2027 campaign.
Analysis
The Rangers went into the winter last year needing a second catcher after the departure of Mitch Garver. Texas signed Andrew Knizner, a former top prospect in the Cardinals’ system who hit 10 home runs the year earlier.
Knizner didn’t work out for the Rangers, as he hit .167/.183/.211 for Texas and ultimately DFA’d in August. Texas did add Carson Kelly at the deadline but he posted just a .634 OPS over 31 games.
While Texas does have Jonah Heim — a great receiver in his own right — on their roster, a second, reliable catcher will be vital for the Rangers’ hopes in 2025. Aside from Higashioka’s noted reputation for being a great asset for pitchers, his bat should come in handy as an insurance option for the Rangers.
Heim was phenomenal offensively in the 2023 season. He hit .255 (.755 OPS) with 18 home runs and 95 RBI for the World Series champions. But last season, Heim returned to pre-2023 norms. His Barrel% rate dipped from 8.0% to 5.9%.
Both Heim (10 Catching Framing Runs (CFR) in 2023) and Higashioka (eight CFR in 2023-24) are good framers and receivers. Which, is something that the Rangers’ pitching staff, led by Jacob deGrom, Tyler Mahle, and company, should take solace in come 2025.
Make sure to check out our coverage of other recent happenings, including the Mets’ signing of Frankie Montas and the Cubs’ addition of Matthew Boyd.