Jurickson Profar Turning Heads in Spring Training

The Texas Rangers are in the middle of Spring Training, and they had their first intrasquad game on Monday morning. This may not sound like a big deal, except for a couple things.

1. Jurickson Profar

Jurickson Profar hit a home run in his first in-game at bat since returning from injury versus Cole Hamels. This is a good sign for Texas, showing that his extended period of time out of the lineup and off the field hasn’t seemed to hamper his pitch recognition ability nor his timing. He’s also shown the ability to throw at 100% from shortstop which was a concern presented due to the nature of his previous injury.

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2. Nomar Mazara

Also, Nomar Mazara, debatably the Texas Rangers’ best overall prospect, went 3 for 3, with one at bat against Cole Hamels, and the others against the relievers. Mazara stands to play a key role for Texas in the years to come and right now, we’re getting a look at what talent the Rangers have in him for the future. Between Frisco and Round Rock last season, Mazara hit .296 with 14 homeruns and 69 RBIs through 131 total games. This stat line is just more tantalizing promises of a bright future for the Texas Rangers’ outfield.

3. Cole Hamels

One thing to note is that Cole Hamels only pitched one inning, but allowed three hits, and two earned runs. Not a solid first outing. But then again, this game was in February, so there is still plenty of time to get back in the groove before the season starts. Hamels is set to be the ace for Texas once Opening Day rolls around and will be one of the faces of the organization for this 2016 campaign. Once arriving in Texas last season, Hamels posted a 7-1 record in 12 starts with a 3.66 ERA. If Hamels can put up consistent numbers or even improve upon this line from last year, the Rangers will be in great shape with their rotation especially with the return of Yu Darvish in a couple of months.

The Rangers’ first Spring Training game will be against this afternoon against the Kansas City Royals at 2:05 pm. Coverage can be heard on 105.3 The Fan.

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