Texas Rangers: Can Delino DeShields Be An Everyday Outfielder?

The Rangers have suffered through a lot of problems in the hitting department this season. One bright spot has been the breakout season by outfielder Delino DeShields. Can he continue this consistent play or is it just a hot stretch?

This season has been a struggle as the Texas Rangers have been hit with plenty of injuries. Outfielder Carlos Gomez went down, but his injury opened up a door for Delino DeShields. The everyday playing time as sparked DeShields bat, and he could be a key to the Rangers offense.

This season DeShields is hitting .287 with one home run and nine RBI and 14 stolen bases in 52 games. The Rangers offense is built to crush home runs, but hard to win games off solo shots. Having players like DeShields and Elvis Andrus is huge for an organization.

A player that can get on base consistently and steal into scoring position for the middle of the order. This type of play is exactly what could get the Rangers back into the playoff picture. This team can’t live and die off the home run ball.

The 24-year-old DeShields could be the future is center field with Gomez eligible for free agency after the season. In 2014 the Rangers selected DeShields has a Rule-5 pick from the Houston Astros.

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He put together a strong rookie campaign, but struggled heavily in 2015. This bounce back season from DeShields is a great sign. Not just for the current Rangers, but for the future of the organization.

This team desperately needs contact hitters that can get on base and steal into scoring position. The Rangers have enough power, but with Gomez on the disabled list the spark of DeShields has surely helped. Texas is hopeful this play can translate into an everyday role in 2018.