Texas Rangers Weekly Report 8: Highlight-reel performances

This was an action-packed week for one Texas Rangers prospect who got called up due to injuries. Josh Smith was the main MVP getting called up from Round Rock for the beginning of the homestand against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Sam Huff also created a highlight for himself by smacking a 435 foot home run on Wednesday night. That ball traveled so fast that they started playing The Natural before the ball went over the wall (I was there).

The Rangers were able to take three out of 4 games in Oakland against the Athletics before returning home Monday to start their homestand by splitting a four game series with the Tampa Bay Rays. Find out who made the lists in this week’s Texas Rangers Weekly Report.

Texas Rangers Weekly Report: Who’s Hot

Josh Smith

Let’s start off with the man of the week, Josh Smith, and boy did he makes things interesting for the Rangers. It only took three pitches for him to get his first-ever big league hit Monday night against the Rays. He continued making milestones by getting his first-ever stolen base in the big leagues in Tuesday’s game.

And his wife was loving every second of it.

The reason why I say he makes things interesting is Josh Jung also plays third base. Do the Rangers want to keep waiting for Jung to be fully healthy or do they maybe trade Andy Ibanez? It’s a decision that’s creeping up on the Rangers and Josh Smith’s performance this week is going to make it hard.

Eli White

I’ve got to talk about the guy that tried to steal the spotlight away from Josh Smith. Eli White made everybody’s jaw drop to the ground when he stole a home run away from the Rays. Glenn Otto probably gave him some money for dinner afterward for saving his behind.

That was a Jake Oettinger-approved robbery to keep it scoreless in the first inning (yeah, it was Dallas Stars night). White then followed up his robbery with a two-run moonshot to dead center. It was the Eli White and Josh Smith show in Arlington.

Jack Leiter, Jon Gray, and Martin Perez

These three just had a flat-out good week pitching. Two of them combined for 20 strikeouts this week (eight for Leiter in five innings and 12 for Gray in seven innings). If you missed the dozen K gem from Gray Wednesday night, check out the video below.

Martin Perez also had a good outing that basically cemented pitcher of the month for May if the voters’ aren’t stupid when casting their ballots. Overall, it was a good week of pitching all around for the Texas Rangers.

Texas Rangers Weekly Report: Who’s Not Hot

Zach Reks

I could add Marcus Semien on here as well but at least he homered in the final game of the Rays series. Reks is the only one who deserves to be on the list this week for what he did Wednesday night.

Here was the scenario: Bottom of the tenth and the bases were loaded with two outs. The pitcher kept trying to get Reks to swing at outside pitches. When it was 2-0 in the count, Reks bit on the third pitch and popped out to end the inning.

He has to have better plate discipline, as he could have won the game if he ignored that pitch instead of being super aggressive down in a hitter’s count

Texas Rangers Upcoming Schedule

June 3-5 Home vs. Seattle Mariners

June 6-8 Away vs Cleveland Guardians