Marcus Semien’s Focus on the Future
Marcus Semien is not one to reflect on the past. He’s always looking forward, not backward, and that’s what’s driving him right now. Despite being in a walking boot and facing a long recovery, Semien is focused on getting back on the field and contributing to his team.
It doesn’t matter how things look. With less than five weeks remaining in the regular season and the Rangers’ playoff chances dwindling, Semien is staying positive and focused on his work. He’s been in a walking boot for a few weeks and will be in it for at least another three weeks before he can even test how he’ll move, much less swing. But he’s not letting that get him down.
What Semien is focused on is what he’s always focused on: work. Even if right now work means getting out of the boot, pulling on his uniform, doing a little upper-body weight-lifting, playing a little cribbage, and doing a whole lot of watching. He’s doing everything he can to stay busy and contribute, which can’t be an easy task for a guy who is second in MLB in games played over the last five seasons.
Staying Positive and Focused
“I haven’t thought about this as being a finished season yet,” Semien told The Dallas Morning News ahead of Wednesday’s homestand finale with the Los Angeles Angels. “I’m just focused on staying off of this foot so that it can be ready, just in case, we’re in a position to play postseason baseball, and my foot is, you know, able to do it.
“I still feel like I’m a big part of this team, even though I’m not on the field. I love the game of baseball. I haven’t necessarily been watching this much from the dugout. But you know that doesn’t mean I hate it. I’m watching the game, cheering the guys on right now.”
Reflecting on the Season
With so much time on his hands, it would be easy to drift off into this oft-frustrating season. His offensive numbers are going to dip for a second straight season. Last year, his OPS+ dipped to 103, which indicates his performance was about 3% above league average (the league average is 100). This year, it’s fallen to 95, which puts him in negative territory.
He once again got off to a dreadful start at the plate, which has become something of a career-long trend. He tweaked his approach and other elements of his offensive game, but ultimately returned to trying to simply pull the ball in the air.
It allowed him to rebound. From May 30 until he fouled a ball off his left foot last week, breaking a bone and suffering a Lisfranc (midfoot) sprain in the process, he slashed .270/.338/.464/.801. That’s remarkably close to his full-season numbers from 2019-24, when he slashed .260/.331/.466/.797.
“When you are tinkering every single day, it’s probably not in your best interest,” said Semien, coming as close as he could to actual reflection. “So there’s a point where I said ‘Hey, try this for a series.’ I had some success. Stuck with it a while. Then something would feel different, something evolves, pitchers found ways to get you out, so you have to reevaluate.
The Future of Baseball
The future is only going to get tougher. Though he stays in superb shape and his on-field workout regimen is second-to-none, age is undefeated in the game. At 35 next season, he’s going to be old for a second baseman.
Ask Bret Boone or Ian Kinsler about turning 35 and how it impacted their careers. Kinsler OPS’d .831 the year he turned 34; afterwards, he was a sub-.700 player and was done two months after turning 37. Boone was a .931 guy at 34; he was done by 36.
The Rangers will have Semien under contract for three more seasons whenever 2025 comes to an end. He’s probably seen his last days as a leadoff man and is maybe a bottom-half-of-the-order hitter when the first 2026 lineup is posted. He’s still a spectacular defensive player and he’s still got some power.
Conclusion
There is still the prospect of more baseball to be played in 2025. When that’s exhausted, then he’ll focus out further and maybe take longer stock of what the 2025 season presented that he can use for the future. There will be a time to reflect. It is not now.
“I’m still preparing myself to contribute this year,” he said “And I’ll keep doing that until they tell me that’s not going to happen.”
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FAQs
Q: What is Marcus Semien’s current status?
A: Marcus Semien is currently in a walking boot and will be out for at least another three weeks before he can test how he’ll move, much less swing.
Q: What are the Rangers’ playoff chances?
A: The Rangers’ playoff chances are dwindling, with only 6.6% chance of making the playoffs according to FanGraphs.
Q: What is Semien’s focus right now?
A: Semien’s focus is on getting back on the field and contributing to his team, and he’s doing everything he can to stay busy and prepare himself for the rest of the season.
