The Texas Rangers have amassed a record of 19-22 to start the season. While pitching has been abysmal, the offense has looked stellar all year. So, 40 games into the season, I’ve decided to give notable Rangers players a ⅛ season grade.
Elvis Andrus: A+
Recently put on the 10-day IL with a strained hamstring, Andrus has played like an all star, batting .325 with 51 hits. Andrus has become what the Rangers lost with Adrian Beltre; a team leader, who leads in the clubhouse and the field.
Joey Gallo: A+
While his recent struggles at the plate have slowed him down quite a bit, however Gallo is still slashing a respectable .248 with 12 home runs this season. Gallo’s OPS and slugging percentage stand out at an impressive 1.003 and .608 on the season. His improvements at the plate, and continued power numbers gives Gallo an A+ grade from me.
Hunter Pence: A
Pence has been used primarily off the bench this season, which is a little odd considering how successful he has been all season. Pence has had a monster road trip, starting with his impressive showing in Pittsburgh, where he hit a game-tying grand slam, completing the Rangers comeback. Pence was thought to be washed up, but the 36 year old is proving the baseball world wrong with a .292 batting average and 8 home runs.
Mike Minor: A
Minor has been undoubtedly been the ace of the staff this season, pitching his way to a 4-3 record, with a 2.61 ERA. A rough opening day outing has turned into a golden season thus far for Minor.
Shin-Soo Choo: A-
Choo is a well rounded hitter. Always has been. This season he’s batting .288 with a .392 on-base percentage. While these are typical Choo numbers, he has been less effective than usual at the plate as of late, bringing him down to an A-.
Asdrubal Cabrera: B
Filling the shoes of Adrián Beltré was always going to be a difficult task. Bringing in a veteran like Cabrera has very much benefitted the Rangers, as his experience has worked well for the team. His .231 average does not reflect how Cabrera has done, as he has been extremely efficient on defense and at the plate.
Nomar Mazara: C+
Maz has struggled to find his way back to his rookie form for the last two years. This year he has stayed around the MLB average of .250 again. Mazara has become somewhat of an unexciting player, being good enough to start, but nothing popping out. In fact, Mazara is so consistent that he’s batted around .250 with 20 home runs in his last three seasons, and he looks like he’s well on his way to another average year.
Jose Leclerc: D-
Leclerc has struggled. That’s no secret. The former closer has recently found slightly better form in his role as a setup man, which was well-needed. Hopefully Leclerc can turn his season around. Maybe even being embedded into the closer role again, who knows.
Rougned Odor: F
Rougned Odor. -0.6 WAR. mediocre, disappointing. Do not get me wrong, I love Rougie, but it’s time to play like a big leaguer, a .162 batting average, well below the Mendoza Line, is simply unacceptable for a fifth year veteran. With Danny Santana and Logan Forsythe doing so well, it’s difficult to not think of removing Odor from the lineup in favor of one of the two.