What can the Texas Rangers expect from Leody Taveras?

It’s safe to say that Leody Taveras exceeded the Texas Rangers’ expectations during the 2020 season.

Leody Taveras made his long-awaited big league debut on July 24, 2020 as a defensive replacement in centerfield, but shortly after solidified his spot as the Texas Rangers starting center fielder.

Taveras may not have put up eye-popping numbers, albeit in a short sample size, but did generate a lot of buzz around the league with his highlight reel catches in the biggest part of Globe Life Field.

Although his batting statistics may not have been All-Star caliber during his rookie season, there is a lot to like about this 22-year old, switch hitting center fielder.

With that being said, the Texas Rangers have high hopes for the Dominican-born outfielder.

But from the fans’ perspective, what can we expect from Taveras? What should we expect?

I’m here to argue that Leody Taveras could be an All-Star caliber outfielder in 2021 that helps bring the Texas Rangers back into contention.

Taveras is a wizard with the glove.

Leody Taveras has always been known in the Ranger’s system as a defense-first, bat-second kind of player.

There is very good reason to believe that to be true, and his stats only further this point.

Over his five years in professional ball, Taveras sports a .983 fielding percentage and has the ability to play all three outfield spots.

In his two seasons playing for the Aguilas Cibaenas of the Dominican Republic, Taveras had a .989 fielding percentage and only made one error.

That being said, Taveras can handle himself pretty well in the spacious confines of Globe Life Field.

Diving into the numbers, he ranks 19th among big leaguers when it comes to best outfield jumps.

According to Statcast, Taveras also completes 60% of the 2+ star rated catches, meaning that his highlight reel is above average.

Taveras is quite literally a walking highlight reel, and the Texas Rangers should anticipate more where that came from going forward.

Taveras has shown an above-average plate presence and given quality at-bats for the Texas Rangers.

One of the glaring questions for Leody Taveras has always been whether he could consistently hit.

He has the tools and ability to be a good hitter, but hasn’t put it all together yet. He’s starting to turn the corner on his hitting of late, though.

For example, he has never been much of a power-hitter, but he adjusted his swing at the 2020 alternate site and during Summer Camp to create more lift, which resulted in a 27% whiff rate.

Keep in mind, his four homers last season halved his career best in the minors, and that number could increase with his development.

His .227 average was decent for a kid who never faced pitching at or above the Triple-A, but this is not the focus here.

The focus for Taveras is his advanced approach at the plate and his willingness to hit behind in the count, creating more walks and an increasing on-base percentage.

When looking at his numbers, he ranks 98th among major leaguers in hard hit percentage at 63%.

That is above several All Stars, including J.D. Martinez, Cody Bellinger and Francisco Lindor.

Taveras also sits at 83rd in the majors with a 67% walk rate, and got on-base at a .308 clip in 2020.

If his bat continues to develop, he could be a very effective leadoff hitter for the Rangers while also handling the bat and providing a little pop.

Projections for Taveras’ future with the Texas Rangers.

Leody Taveras, no doubt, is a quality talent that the Rangers will have out in center field for years to come.

Obviously, his speed and defense are there, but the ability to hit will make him an interesting player to watch over the next several seasons.

Again, some of his struggles at the plate have been a result of swing changes to expand the zone and trying to add more power to his swing, which was by design.

From both the fan’s perspective and the Rangers’ perspective, it’s clear he survived his first year in the majors and showed that he’s earned the opportunity to improve exponentially.

He has a really good approach at the plate, had the highest walk rate of his career in 2020 and has the ability to hit for power from both sides of the plate.

He was not scared or intimidated by the major leagues, and that bodes well for his development.

In my opinion, Leody Taveras was easily the Rangers’ best player over the last five weeks or so of the season.

When looking for comparisons for Taveras, he could be a Lorenzo Cain or Kevin Kiermaier should he reach his full potential.

And believe us, the Rangers would be thrilled with that outcome.

His ever-improving performance and his confidence at the big league level will only help his development, and help the Rangers deploy an All-Star caliber player in center field for the long haul.