Texas Rangers Start Spring Training Hot

With the Texas Rangers a full week into Spring Training, there has been no shortage of offensive production.

Texas is now 8 games into the Spring Training season and the most notable takeaway in the eyes of most people is their offensive production. They are swinging the bats well and driving in runs when it counts, something they had struggled to do in recent memory.

Team Offense

In their first 8 games, the Rangers have scored 5 or more runs in six of those ballgames. In three of those, they’ve put up double digit runs on their opponents. Evidence of this run production comes in the form of Texas being tied for third in total runs this Spring Training, scoring 56 runs so far, despite playing 2 games less or more, than the teams ranked above them.

Ranger hitters have been productive and efficient at the plate as well with all but 2 of the of the 14 players who have played in 5 or more games, hitting below .250. As a team, they lead the MLB in Spring Training batting average at .368, 36 points above the second place Los Angeles Dodgers. In addition to their fantastic team batting average, the team on-base percentage is .415, also the best in the league.

The team also leads the rest of the league with a 109 hits so far through 8 games despite having less at-bats than half of the league. On the base paths, Texas is fourth in steals and has shown the ability to hit for extra bases, tied for third in doubles.

This offensive production is a point of excitement for Texas Rangers fans as it points to a possible upwards trend from a team who was offensively more in the top-third of teams. If the Rangers can keep up any kind of similar production moving into the 2016 Regular Season, it would take a lot of pressure off of they pitchers who are having an impressive Spring Training of their own with a top 5 team ERA and a top 10 opponent batting average.

Offensive Leaders

A few names have been showing out offensively for the Texas Rangers this year. As mentioned in a previous article, Nomar Mazara is having himself a nice Spring Training at the plate. Through 14 at-bats, Mazara is hitting .571 and has driven in 7 runs for the Rangers. Leadoff man, Delino DeShields is also hitting consistently, with a .500 average through his first 10 at-bats. The other name doing big damage for Texas at the plate is outfielder Ryan Rua, who leads the team in at-bats at 16, and is hitting .500. Rua also had a streak at one-point where he went 7-7 across a 3-game stretch.

Power wise at the plate, Texas has 6 players who have homered this young season. Mitch Moreland has been a big factor, hitting .462 through 10 at-bats with an .800 slugging percentage and 5 RBIs. He’s one of 18 players slugging .500 or better this spring, and extra base hits translate into runs scored.

It’s still fairly early to be making wholesale statements about the expectations for the season, but Texas is showing that they have the ability to swing the bats well as a team.

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