The Texas Rangers had one of their worst seasons in Rangers history. This season, the organization looks to rebound and find success away from their win-loss record.
As the snow begins to melt in Texas, the Texas Rangers have headed to Surprise Arizona for Spring Training. Coming into this season, we can assume by the regular definition of success that the Rangers will have a lackluster performance this year.
However, the Texas Rangers are looking more at finding success in other places than the league standings. Texas has the opportunity to see growth and maturation from their farm system prospects and see the careers of their lineup take shape and watch veterans take over the core of players.
There are several places the Rangers need to improve in during the 2021 season to really have a “successful” year.
It All Starts for the Rangers With the MLB Amateur Draft
The Texas Rangers’ farm system has been ranked in the bottom half of league for quite some time now. Is it because of a lack of talent? Is it due to injuries? Bad development paths?
You can’t pin it into just one of these categories, because they’ve all played a factor, one way or another. I personally believe that it starts with the MLB Amateur Draft. Over the last decade, the Texas Rangers have yet to draft a player who has maintained success within the organization or at the big league level in the first round.
We haven’t seen Josh Jung, Davis Wendzel and Cole Winn yet, but in years prior, they haven’t had sustained big league success. Chi Chi Gonzalez, Lewis Brinson, Dillon Tate and others just have not panned out for the Rangers, or any club that has since acquired them. You could also argue that the last great first round talent the Rangers took was Mark Teixeira back in 2001.
For me, it begins and ends with the draft.
That’s why the last two seasons, and the one upcoming, are so important for the Texas Rangers. Winn, Jung, Wendzel and Justin Foscue all have the chance to be good, maybe great, big league ballplayers. While the Texas Rangers sit second, they have to add to a stacked group of first round prospects from the last three years.
They can’t miss again with this high of a pick. To begin to count this season a success, the Texas Rangers must choose a franchise-changing player, and hopefully the next stud pitcher in the Rangers’ rotation.
Rangers Talent Development
Speaking of prospects, the Texas Rangers must see growth from their “top tier” guys. Many around the organization believe that several top prospects would have taken another step in their development, had there been a 2020 minor league season.
Guys like Evan Carter, Justin Foscue, Sherten Apostel, Cole Winn, Anderson Tejeda, Fernery Ozuna and others were all projected to really play a role in boosting the farm system’s ratings. However, the likes of Hans Crouse, Bubba Thompson and company need to show that they are capable of playing above the Double-A level.
Both have battled their fair share of injuries, but now is the most crucial time in their development to prove if they have big league potential or not. Crouse has arguably the nastiest stuff in the Rangers’ organization, but has got to stay on the field to be assessed as a starting pitcher.
Bubba Thompson is another guy the Texas Rangers have been very high on, but haven’t seen results. Of course, the injuries play a factor, but his overall production when he’s healthy hasn’t been great. He crushed pitching at Hickory in 2018, but when he was promoted to Down East, he couldn’t find a rhythm.
Thompson hit .178 over 57 games with the Wood Ducks in 2019, striking out 72 times in 202 plate appearances. He got on-base at a measly .261 clip and only slugged .312. Both guys have been invited to Spring Training and are being given a chance to prove themselves against more advanced talent.
In a perfect world, the Texas Rangers would like to see both guys get to Frisco or Round Rock this year based on their performances, but that is very uncertain. Either way, the Rangers have to see their high-ceiling studs take the next step in their development, and it begins with Crouse and Thompson.
Big League Bats
The Rangers’ big league team is also filled with plenty of young, controllable talent who have struggled at the highest level. We’ve seen glimpses of success from Joey Gallo, Willie Calhoun, Nick Solak, Leody Taveras and company, but we haven’t seen the consistent production.
Beginning with Joey Gallo, the Rangers time to help develop the superstar player he can be is ticking down. With two years of control left, Gallo and the Rangers have to find some way to piece it all together if he wants to be a key cog in the next great Texas team.
The batting average has to come up exponentially, and he has to learn to take the ball the other way with the drastic shift on against him. If Gallo has a similar season to the beginning of 2019, the Texas Rangers will be in good shape, but if he continues to struggle, his time in Arlington may be running out. Willie Calhoun and Nick Solak are the next guys up, and they have struggled for different reasons.
Calhoun battled too many unfortunate injuries last season that led to his struggles. There is no doubt in my mind that a healthy, confident Willie Calhoun is going to come to camp this spring and prove he’s still got something in the tank.
As for Solak, he came in and opened eyes during his rookie campaign in 2019, but has yet to find that consistency since. The pandemic-ridden season surely didn’t help, and we saw signs of life late last year, but he has to maintain that top-of-the-order on-base ability to stick with the team.
His power numbers also dropped last season, but learning a new ballpark also plays a role in that. If both Calhoun and Solak can produce similarly to 2019, the Rangers will have a formidable top of the order.
For Leody Taveras, he impressed plenty of people last season in his short stint with the Rangers. His power numbers were better than ever, he got on-base, played terrific defense and proved he can be an everyday big leaguer.
The key for Taveras this season is to cut down the strikeouts and continue to put the ball in play. He has game-changing speed, so he needs to take full advantage of it. He showed a great approach at the plate from both sides, and if that continues, the Texas Rangers will have found one of the best pure leadoff hitters in franchise history.
With a full season ahead, the continued maturation of these four guys are what the Rangers will cling to when on the offensive side of the ball. If even two of these guys can bounce back or continue past success, the Rangers could call that a successful season.
Rangers Pitching continues to rise
Finally, the Rangers have plenty of young arms that they are looking to see develop at the big league level.
Dane Dunning and Kyle Cody proved last year that they could be quality arms in the Texas rotation for years to come, but guys like Brock Burke and Joe Palumbo need to see healthy years. Other youngsters like Wes Benjamin and Taylor Hearn, along with Brett de Geus and Demarcus Evans will need to prove they are ready for consistent big league outings. The talent for all of them is there, and now is their time to shine.
For the two closers Jose Leclerc and Jonathan Hernandez, staying healthy is key. Both guys have electric stuff and are some of the best in the game, so expect big things from the back of the Rangers bullpen.
The Rangers’ pitching staff should have their ups-and-downs, but if they can find this year’s Kyle Cody and see similar success from Dane Dunning, they’ll be in good shape, especially if Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles bounce back a little bit.
