2024 Spring Training Preview: The Texas Rangers outfield

The 2024 Texas Rangers will look very similar to the 2023 World Series Championship team. That starts in the outfield. Adolis Garcia and Leody Taveras both return for another season, and Evan Carter will be in his first full major league season. Everyone knows the Rangers will also call up the fast-progressing Wyatt Langford sooner rather than later. The Rangers should have a very good outfield this season. We are going to take a look at how these players performed last season and what they can improve on in 2024.

2023 in Review- Adolis Garcia

Last year's star in the outfield will return to play right field for the Rangers again in the 2024 season. Adolis Garcia had a truly incredible 2023. Garcia who is also affectionately known as "El Bombi" finally got to see meaningful baseball for the first time as a Ranger. He did not disappoint. Garcia finished the regular season with 39 home runs, 107 RBI's, an .836 OPS, and 11 outfield assists. All were career highs. He added a start in right field for the AL All-Star team as well.

But even his regular season could not prepare Rangers fans for what we saw from Adolis in the postseason. Garcia became a monster in October. He had eight home runs in the postseason and broke David Freese's single postseason RBI record with 22. He did so with this home run that Texas Rangers fans will never forget,

He thrived when the lights were the brightest. When the season was all said and done, Garcia was an All-Star starter, All-MLB 2nd Team, as well as a Gold Glover.

What can Adolis Garcia improve upon in 2024?

If there is one thing Adolis Garcia can improve upon going into 2024, it's hitting for average. Garcia had a respectable .245 batting average, but he was top 10 in the league in strikeouts. Adolis clearly swings with a lot of power. When he's trying to hit a ball, more often than not he's trying to give a fan a souvenir. That naturally means he will swing and miss more than others. But bringing those strikeouts down will help him as well as the Rangers. His power at the plate is already a huge asset to the Rangers, if he continues to improve his plate discipline and chases a little less, he will be an even more dangerous hitter in 2024.

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.

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.

More News from Nolan Writin