Jonah Heim's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

The Texas Rangers are planning to give catchers Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka equal playing time in 2025, according to general manager Ross Fenstermaker. The Rangers signed Higashioka to a two-year, $13.5 million deal on Monday night and will plan to give him plenty of playing time behind the plate given Heim's struggles on offense this past season. The 29-year-old Heim was an All-Star in 2023, won a Gold Glove and a World Series ring, but he wasn't as good in 2024, slashing .220/.267/.336 with a weak .602 OPS, 13 home runs, 59 RBI and 45 runs scored in 131 games played in his fourth year in Texas. Meanwhile, Higashioka had a career year in his lone season with the San Diego Padres with 17 home runs and 45 RBI in 84 games played as the team's primary backstop. Texas will be hoping a straight split in playing time will keep them both productive, but it will surely limit their fantasy upside.

Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim will retreat to the bench for Thursday's series finale against the division-rival Oakland Athletics in the final game at the Oakland Coliseum. Carson Kelly will do the catching for rookie right-hander Kumar Rocker and will bat eighth against A's right-hander J.T. Ginn. The 29-year-old's day off comes after he homered in each of the first two games of the series. Heim made his first All-Star team in 2023 before eventually helping lead the Rangers to their first World Series title. He hasn't been nearly as good in 2024, though, batting .219 (98-for-448) with 13 home runs and 57 RBI in 480 plate appearances. Since joining the Rangers in the middle of the season via trade, Kelly has slashed .233/.296/.311 with a .607 OPS, one homer and seven RBI in 28 games for the Rangers as the No. 2 backstop behind Heim.

Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim will retreat to the bench on Monday against the visiting division-rival Houston Astros after starting the two previous games on Saturday and Sunday. In his absence, the Rangers will roll with Carson Kelly behind the plate and in the nine-hole in the batting order versus Astros right-hander Hunter Brown. The switch-hitting Heim has been struggling offensively since the All-Star break, batting just .178 (8-for-45) with two homers, 10 RBI, a walk and six strikeouts in 13 games played. After making his first All-Star team a year ago, he's been a bit of a disappointment for fantasy managers with a .233/.278/.348 slash line, a weak .626 OPS, 10 home runs and 46 RBI in 95 games in his four season in Texas. Kelly has some pop (seven homers) as a backup catcher, but he'll be a low-upside DFS sleeper at the position in the nine-hole on Monday.