5 bold predictions for the 2022 Texas Rangers season

5 bold predictions for the 2022 Texas Rangers

2. Nathaniel Lowe will have a breakout season

He’s always had big-time potential. And 2022 is the year in which Lowe finally makes good on it.

Acquired from the Rays in December 2020, Lowe had solid but unspectacular first season in Texas, with 18 home runs and a .772 OPS. His contact skills are better than you think, as he hit .264 in 2021. He’ll never be mistaken for a contact hitter, however.

The one weak spot in Lowe’s game is his defense, which is less than stellar at first base. But based on the kind of year we’re predicting the 26-year-old to have in 2022, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Lowe always hits the ball hard and has sneaky good plate discipline. If he can really hone in on those attributes and eliminate some of his bad tendencies like chasing high fastballs and hitting balls on the ground rather than in the air, he’s going to enjoy a breakout year.

Pencil Lowe in for around 25-30 homers as one of the big boppers in this improved Texas Rangers lineup.

5 bold predictions for the 2022 Texas Rangers

3. Spencer Howard establishes himself as a legitimate rotation piece

After being traded to the Rangers in 2021, Howard struggled, posting a 9.70 ERA down the stretch and continuing along the same trajectory that had plagued him with the Phillies.

Once a former top pitching prospect, Howard still has that within him. The talent never left. He may never become an ace, but he doesn’t need to be in Texas. Not with Jack Leiter and Cole Winn on the way. Not with Ricky Vanasco and Owen White also waiting in the wings. And that alone should be a difference maker for Howard in 2022, knowing the pressure is off.

Still, the Rangers need to see Howard step up in 2022 to validate their decision to swap Hans Crouse for him last summer. Based on the spring training he’s had, improvement could be imminent.

Across 7.2 spring innings, the 25-year-old has nine strikeouts and a sparkling 2.35 ERA. But best of all? Just two walks. Control has given Howard trouble over his career, so it’s nice to see him reign his stuff in more this spring. Watch Howard’s development this season as Texas continues to bring him along.

5 bold predictions for the 2022 Texas Rangers

4. Taylor Hearn becomes the No. 2 starter in the rotation

The Texas Rangers have already hinted at this by giving Hearn the start for the home opener against the Colorado Rockies, but his development will continue all season.

Last season, amidst injuries and COVID, Hearn stepped into a rotation spot and delivered, quickly gaining Chris Woodward’s trust and becoming a staple down the stretch for the Rangers. Texas loves his competitive drive and his stuff isn’t so bad either.

Hearn arguably earned his rotation spot last season, but this season, he’s going to take his game up a notch, rocketing up the depth chart to second starter, behind Jon Gray. And if Hearn keeps pitching well, there’s no reason to believe anyone will supplant him from that spot this season.

5 bold predictions for the 2022 Texas Rangers

5. At least three top-10 organizational prospects will make their MLB debut this year

Here’s one that will excite Texas Rangers fans: the future is here and it is bright!

It’s fully expected that the team will promote some of their top prospects in the coming years as this rebuild finally starts to bear fruit. And I believe some of these young talents will graduate to the big leagues as soon as this year. Among them should be Cole Winn, Josh H. Smith, Josh Jung (when he returns from injury) and a twist: one of Justin Foscue or Dustin Harris will make their big league debut in 2022.

If I had to guess which of Foscue or Harris will debut this year, my money would be on the latter given his meteoric rise, though Foscue’s tear at High-A Hickory last summer shouldn’t be ignored. Both Foscue and Harris will start this season at AA Frisco, meaning they’re both somewhat close to making it to Arlington.

Therefore, by season’s end, don’t be surprised if one of these talented position players makes even just a brief cameo at Globe Life Field in a game.