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Texas Rangers: 4 candidates to hit in the cleanup spot

By Seth Carlson |
Jul 26, 2020; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers right fielder Joey Gallo (13) hits a solo home run during the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 26, 2020; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers right fielder Joey Gallo (13) hits a solo home run during the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
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Few things are set in stone this spring training as the Texas Rangers continue their preparations for the 2021 season.

Among those uncertainties is the lineup structure for this team.

The Rangers have some intriguing names up and down their starting nine, but projecting what order they’ll line up in figures to be a challenge.

One important spot in this lineup, the cleanup hitter, will be a particularly interesting one to watch unfold, especially as we get closer to Opening Day.

Texas struggled to manufacture offense last season (combined team .648 OPS over the 60 game campaign) and figures to again in 2021.

A solid cleanup hitter could mitigate some of those struggles this year.

Here are four candidates we believe could occupy this spot come the regular season.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Texas Rangers’ potential cleanup hitter: RF Joey Gallo

In theory, Joey Gallo represents the most clear and obvious choice to be the team’s cleanup hitter in 2021.

However, manager Chris Woodward has stated that he plans to get Gallo more at-bats in 2021, meaning his slugging right fielder could bat even higher than fourth in the lineup at times.

More at-bats might be a good thing for Gallo, who struggled in 2020 after back-to-back 40 home run seasons in 2017 and 2018 and and his All-Star 2019 campaign.

Gallo is seeking a bounce-back year, hoping a full year in the new stadium and a custom bat will change his fortunes.

The 27-year-old’s career OPS of .825 and monstrous power screams middle of the order hitter, a role he has mostly occupied during his big league career.

Chris Woodward does have other options at cleanup this year besides Gallo, however, which afford the skipper a luxury he hasn’t had since becoming the manager.

Still, you can’t fault Woody for wanting to bat his best player and run producer in the middle of the order should it come to that.

Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Texas Rangers’ potential cleanup hitters: LF David Dahl

Like Joey Gallo, David Dahl projects to be a big bopper in this lineup provided he’s healthy.

Dahl, who signed a one-year deal with the Rangers during the Winter Meetings, is the type of offensive talent that can spark a lineup when he’s at his best.

With a career .828 OPS and 103 OPS+, the numbers unequivocally show that the 26-year-old outfielder is talented enough with the bat to handle cleanup duties.

Of course, Dahl had the benefit of playing his entire career so far at hitter-friendly Coors Field, so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the confines of spacious Globe Life Field.

Dahl has the numbers of a prototypical middle of the lineup hitter and can provide protection to  Joey Gallo or whoever happens to be batting in front of him.

This makes him a strong possibility for the clean-up spot in Chris Woodward’s 2021 lineup.

(Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
(Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /

Texas Rangers’ potential cleanup hitters: 1B Nate Lowe

Acquired in an off-season trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, Nate Lowe has as much raw power in his bat as anyone on this team.

That’s saying a lot when you consider that Joey Gallo one of Lowe’s teammates.

Lowe is projected to win the first base job over Ronald Guzman this spring, which will carve a path to regular playing time that eluded the lefty slugger in Tampa Bay.

The 25-year-old first baseman’s career OPS is .770, which doesn’t pop off the page at first glance.

However, a deeper dive into his statistics suggest a power surge could be imminent.

Lowe’s career .197 ISO and .209 ISO in 2020 are both very good for that metric, which measures a hitter’s raw power ability. A .200 ISO is considered “great” on a scale of .080 to .250.

While Lowe has never hit more than 10 home runs in a season to date, that’s not entirely his fault.

With regular plate appearances in 2021, Nate Lowe could be the middle of the order power threat the Rangers have so desperately needed to pair alongside Joey Gallo.

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Texas Rangers’ potential cleanup hitters: DH Willie Calhoun

Willie Calhoun has long deserved his chance for regular at-bats in the Texas Rangers lineup.

Acquired as the centerpiece of a July 2017 trade that sent Yu Darvish to the LA Dodgers, Calhoun is essentially a player without a position in the field.

Calhoun can play both outfield and first base, but with no vacancies at either of those spots on the diamond, the 26-year-old will settle for a DH role.

Assuming he beats out recently-acquired Khris Davis for the starting DH job, Calhoun has flashed the kind of middle of the order prowess the Rangers envisioned he would have when he made his big league debut.

2019 was his best season yet, with 21 home runs and an .848 OPS over 337 plate appearances.

More of that kind of production in 2021 would make him an intriguing cleanup hitter option for manager Chris Woodward.

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