STONY BROOK, N.Y. - Stony Brook baseball Hall of Famer and 2023 World Series Champion Travis Jankowski '12 is officially beginning the next chapter of his baseball career, as the Texas Rangers announced he will serve as the club's first base coach for the 2026 season. Jankowski moves into coaching following an 11-year Major League career that included time with eight different organizations.
Jankowski will take over as first base coach in 2026, with longtime first base coach Corey Ragsdale moving to third base.
Current Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, who played alongside and later coached Jankowski, praised his transition into coaching. "Travis is one of my favorite teammates and players I've ever coached, just because of the man he is and what he represents," Schumaker said. "I've always thought, in the back of my head, when Travis does decide to retire, he would be an incredibly impactful coach, because of how he sees relationships and how he sees the game. There's a lot of built-in relationships that I'm excited for him to have and really jump-start his career with a lot of the guys that he won a World Series with."
Jankowski spent two seasons with Texas as a player, appearing in 211 games across 2023 and 2024. He played an important role in the Rangers' 2023 World Series championship, appearing in 104 games that season. During the postseason, he became the first Stony Brook player to appear in an ALCS game, the first to record a hit in the ALCS, and the first to play in the World Series. He delivered a key performance in Game 4, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored in Texas' 11–7 win over Arizona.
During his final season, Jankowski appeared in 14 games in 2025 for the Tampa Bay Rays, seven for the Chicago White Sox, and four for the New York Mets, along with several Minor League appearances. His final Major League game came on July 8 with the Mets.
Across his MLB career with the Padres, Reds, Phillies, Mets, Mariners, Rangers, Rays, and White Sox, Jankowski finished with a .236 batting average, 366 hits, 220 runs, 98 RBI, 11 home runs, and 104 stolen bases in 1,552 at-bats. He posted a .318 on-base percentage, .305 slugging percentage, and .623 OPS,
The 2012 America East Player of the Year set seven single season Stony Brook records with 66 games played, 266 at bats, 110 hits, .414 batting average, 11 triples, 79 runs scored and 36 stolen bases as the Seawolves "shocked the world" by earning a trip to the NCAA Division I College World Series after winning the Coral Gables Regional and the Baton Rouge Super Regional. The first-team All-America selection by the ABCA and NCBWA also garnered ABCA National Player of the Year honors for his historic season. Jankowski owns the Stony Brook career record for triples with 16 and sits fourth with a career batting average of .366. Following the 2012 season, he was selected in the first round (44th overall selection) of the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft by the San Diego Padres.
Jankowski is one of five Stony Brook alumni to reach the Major Leagues, joining Daniel Zamora, Nick Tropeano, Tom Koehler, and Joe Nathan.
The Rangers return to the diamond on February 20 for their first Spring Training game against the Kansas City Royals in Arizona, and head to Philadelphia to face the Phillies on March 26 for their regular season opener.
For more inside access to Stony Brook Baseball, follow the Seawolves on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
