2 Rangers who earned an Opening Day roster, 2 who lost one during spring training

The Texas Rangers have 13 games left in Arizona before heading to Philadelphia for the season opener on March 26. That is plenty of games to already begin assumptions of which players are on heaters, cold snaps or just flat out not good.

2 Rangers who earned an Opening Day roster spot with strong spring training starts

Gavin Collyer, RHP

It would be tough to put a pitcher with just 15 games of experience in Triple-A a spot on the Opening Day roster but that's how good the 24-year-old Collyer has been this spring. With only one run allowed (1.50 ERA), he's thrown in six innings with the big league camp and struck out seven batters to only two free passes.

Tyler Wade, INF

When Wade succeeds all I can see is Jared Walsh from a few seasons ago and that experiment started well before massively failing. Wade, 31, is having a spring training exactly like that. Somehow a career .216 hitter is mashing the ball in eight games, going 11-for-18 (.611) with a home run, two RBIs, .889 slugging percentage and a 1.539 OPS.

Can't help but not want a guy like Wade making the Opening Day roster, especially given his versatility all around the diamond. His chances are still positive but the entrance of Andrew McCutchen earlier this week, defintley might play a factor if he does in fact miss out on a roster spot.

2 Twins who lost an Opening Day roster spot during spring training

Ryan Brasier, RHP

It's really a tough comparison between Brasier and the other new reliever in Alexis Diaz, who have both struggled this spring. What makes it likely Brasier would be the player to not make the team is Texas has already committed a guaranteed $1 million compared to Brasier's non-guaranteed deal.

A two-time World Series champion, Brasier has thrown 4.1 innings and has allowed 11 hits, six runs and a 2.54 WHIP in four games this spring. Now, the Rangers would benefit from having a proven presence in the backend of the clubhouse but if roster spots are slim, Brasier is likely to go first.

Andrew Velazquez, INF

Velazquez was one of those veterans who entered the spring with a close to impossible task: make the Opening Day roster on a minor league spring training invite. While Wade is shining in that role, the 31-year-old Velazquez has massively struggled in Cactus League play.

A career .244 hitter in 566 at-bats, the former Los Angeles Angel hasn't played in the big leagues since 2023 and is batting .136 with just three hits in 22 at-bats. Already facing tough odds to make the MLB roster, his spring performance is not doing him any favors. He's likely to get optioned to Triple-A Round Rock and spend some time in the minors to start the season.