2024 Spring Training Preview: The Texas Rangers outfield

2023 in Review- Leody Taveras

Returning in 2024 for the Texas Rangers in center field is Leody Taveras. Taveras has always had the tools to be a great defensive center fielder. His range as well as his arm strength are right up there with some of the best in the game. Taveras has mostly lived up to high expectations on defense in his first few years starting for the Rangers. He just needed to figure it out at the plate. He made strides in that direction in the 2023 season, batting .266 with 14 homers at the bottom of the order. He also had a respectable OPS at .733.

While Taveras did make offense strides, there is still some production at the plate to be desired. He started very strong in 2023 and fans were excited for his breakout. But in the second half of the season, pitchers figured him out. He never really adjusted and struggled at the plate for the second half of the regular season. Aside from his ALCS homer off Justin Verlander, his offensive production followed the trend from the second half of the season into the postseason.

What can Leody Taveras improve upon in 2024?

Especially with Wyatt Langford's imminent call up, Taveras will need to increase his offensive production to keep significant playing time. His speed and defensive ability will always make him an asset, but if he can prove to be more of a threat at the plate, he can truly become a weapon for the Rangers. Speaking of his speed, I would also like to see the Rangers use Taveras more aggressively when he is on the base paths. That is not so much something he needs to improve on but something Bruce Bochy and his staff need to improve on. Allowing him to steal and wreak havoc on the base paths further plays into the strengths he has already shown and allows him to be even more valuable when he is able to get on base.

2023 in Review- Evan Carter

Next up for the Rangers outfielders: Evan Carter. His 2024 season will be highly anticipated and he is one of the early front runners for Rookie of the Year. Carter's minor league success translated immediately to the big leagues when he was called up in September. He batted .306 with an OPS over 1.000 in the 22 games he played for the big club in the 2023 regular season.

That early success carried into the postseason as well as he set the single postseason record for doubles with nine and reached base safely in his first 17 postseason games. He also showed his talent in the field. His crucial catch against the Astros that turned a deep drive from Alex Bregman into a double play showcased that Carter has as much to offer in the field as he does at the plate. Carter was phenomenal last season and Rangers fans should be very excited for his 2024 campaign.

What can Evan Carter improve upon in 2024?

The one area Evan Carter needs to improve on is hitting lefties. Even with how incredible his production was from the time he was called up, his struggles against lefties were great enough that Bruce Bochy opted to sit him when there was a lefty starter at times. His splits are drastically different against righties and lefties and he needs to close that gap. Like Taveras, I would also like to see his speed utilized more. This doesn't fall on him like it doesn't fall on Taveras though. I would like to see Bruce Bochy and his staff be more aggressive on the base paths, especially when they have two guys with as much speed as Taveras and Carter.

Wyatt Langford from drafted to promoted in less than a year?

He is not yet on the major league roster, but I don't think that will last long. It is very likely we see Wyatt Langford in a Rangers uniform this season. To put it simply, Langford is an incredible and fast progressing bat for the Rangers. He hit .360 with a 1.157 OPS and 30 RBI's through 44 minor league games last season. He made it to Triple A in the same summer he was drafted. Langford is a rare prospect that will likely be a great addition to an already high-powered offense whenever he is called up. He is also solid on defense, he had a 1.000 fielding percentage in the 30 minor league games he played in the field.

Langford will provide a great option at DH when is called up. His defense is also good enough that he can be plugged in to give some of the current every day guys some rest. Depending on what the DH situation ends up looking like in 2024, he could also make the outfield a four man starting unit. If the Rangers have another better bat than Taveras to DH, we could see Langford in left field with Evan Carter slid into center field if Taveras is struggling to produce at the plate. This is all speculation for now, but Langford's ascension and offensive prowess puts some extra pressure on Leody Taveras to continue to improve on offense in 2024 if he wants to keep the same playing time.

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