Former Yankees Star Mark Teixeira Stuns Fans With Bold Prediction for the 2025 Season

Former Major League Baseball All-Star Mark Teixeira, who slugged 409 home runs during a 14-year career with the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees, is stepping back onto a different field: politics. On Wednesday the 45-year-old three-time Gold Glove first-baseman formally announced he will seek the Republican nomination for Texas’ 21st Congressional District, a seat that stretches from Austin’s southern suburbs through the Hill Country to San Antonio’s northern edge. Campaign launch in Arlington Teixeira unveiled his bid at Globe Life Field, the stadium where he debuted with the Rangers in 2003, telling a crowd of former teammates, local GOP officials and fans that “Texas gave me my first shot in the big leagues, and now I’m ready to fight for Texans in Washington.” He framed his campaign around three themes: “economic power hitting,” “defensive spending cuts” and “team-first border security,” language that mirrors his baseball résumé. A Trump-aligned conservative message Signaling he will run to the right of incumbent Rep. Chip Roy, Teixeira highlighted his endorsement of former President Donald Trump and pledged to “stop the Biden administration’s late-inning tax hikes.” He also voiced support for term limits, rural broadband expansion and school choice vouchers, positions that sync with current conservative priorities in the state. From diamond to district Teixeira retired after the 2016 season with three All-Star selections, five Silver Sluggers and a World Series ring earned with the Yankees in 2009. Since leaving baseball he has served as an ESPN analyst, invested in several Austin-based tech start-ups and sat on the advisory board of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. Political insiders say his crossover name recognition could be potent in a district that still reveres the Rangers’ 2010–11 pennant teams. Key issues he says he will prioritize • Securing the southern border with additional fencing and technology • Lowering federal income taxes on small businesses • Protecting Hill Country water resources from urban sprawl • Opposing new federal gun restrictions, citing his lifelong hunting background • Advancing NIL-style legislation for minor-league baseball players, a nod to his sports roots Primary battle ahead Rep. Roy, first elected in 2018, has not announced whether he will seek re-election or target statewide office, but observers expect a competitive GOP primary next March. Teixeira will likely lean on a fundraising network built during his playing days; according to campaign paperwork filed this week, his exploratory committee raised $1.1 million in its first 48 hours. Democrats eye opportunity The Democratic field in TX-21 remains unsettled, yet party strategists believe Teixeira’s hard-right rhetoric could open a path in fast-growing suburban precincts around Austin that President Biden narrowly carried in 2020. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added TX-21 to its “districts to watch” list within hours of Teixeira’s speech. What’s next The rookie candidate embarks on a “Texas First Tour” across Hays, Comal and Kendall counties over the next month, concluding with a Labor Day weekend rally in San Marcos. If elected, Teixeira would become only the second former Yankee ever to serve in Congress, following pitcher Jim Bunning of Kentucky. With spring training long behind him, Mark Teixeira is now swinging for Capitol Hill—hoping voters will deliver a November home run.