3 key factors to a successful spring training for the Rangers

The wait is no more, the Texas Rangers play baseball today. Albeit spring training but baseball nonetheless.

The Rangers will play 30 games in the next 34 days to prepare for the long 162-game regular season that awaits them in Arlington on March 27. A few things needs to decided as the team progresses closer to that deadline but for now they will just take it day-by-day.

As they start this small grueling schedule succeeded by a longer grueling schedule, here are three ideas that if they happen it will be deemed a successful spring in Surprise, Arizona.

No. 1: Stay healthy

I will not pretend to think the Rangers will get out of spring training without a player or two getting roughed up, it's baseball and these things happen. What I don't want to see is a struggle like last spring where Josh Jung goes down early and Corey Seager still not 100% after offseason hernia surgery.

Right now everyone is healthy, including the two who fans are worried about the most: Evan Carter and Jacob deGrom. Now we know Josh Sborz will start the year injured so we don't count that one.

If Texas can get to Opening Day with the projected lineup on the field, they are already one step ahead of last year. I'll leave it to them to navigate how they do that during spring but I envision Bruce Bochy has a pretty good handle on things so who am I to tell him what to do.

No. 2: Help the younger guys gain confidence

This is mostly directed at Jack Leiter has he's experienced some struggles over the past couple of seasons. But it can also ring true for expected starter Cody Bradford as well as Kumar Rocker and Sebastian Walcott.

Leiter and Rocker are two guys in strange situations this year because they don't necessarily fit into the rotation due to the team's depth and the bullpen is likely to lean toward more experience. Rocker is in better shape because his season wasn't as tough, but Leiter was beaten down. Getting Leiter some good reps and seeing some positives during spring will do wonders for his confidence whether he starts the year in Arlington or Round Rock.

For Walcott, he's only 18 years old and won't be on the Opening Day roster but will be with the big league club for at least the first half of spring training. A productive spring would be a great boost by the time he starts his minor league season.

No. 3: Learn to attack the fastball better

In 2024, the Rangers' offense was among the worst in the league at hitting the fastball. To be exact they were 27th in batting average (.255) against the fastball.

It was a frustration all season watching hitters be a tad bit off in their timing and either fouling pitches off, grounding out or missing the pitch entirely. While they didn't strike out more on the pitch their exit velo along with power dropped as well. Adolis Garcia seemed the most affected by the pitch, especially the high fastballs that he had trouble recognizing in time and swinging under them.

They won't have their woes figured out entirely but if they make a solid plan for spring and work toward it, they will be in better shape by the time Opening Day rolls around.