Texas Rangers 2025 Spring Training Thread

[saddles]

Gray with 2 hitless innings with one strikeout.

 

[saddles]

From Scott Lucas:

Through August 11 last season, Hauver was hitting .195/.305/.305 with a 33% strikeout rate, frankly the kind of performance that might get a 25-year-old released. In his final 29 games, Hauver reached safely in 27 and batted .374/.485/.701 with 17 doubles, six homers and a 22% strikeout rate. I didn’t delve more than superficially into the data at the time, but now I have. Here’s some info before and after August 11:

Hard-hit rate: 30% before, 48% after (PCL average 35%)
Median exit velo: 87.6 before, 94.2 after (89.8)
90th-percentile exit velo: 103.0 before, 104.2 after (103.1)
Average on 95+ exit velo: .500 before, .615 after (.545)
Slugging on 95+ exit velo: .955 before, 1.300 after (1.091)

Hauver didn’t improve his top-end velo so much as pull his mid-range from below-average to outstanding. Particularly relevant was his improvement against fastballs:

Whiff rate: 25% before, 10% (!) after (PCL average 22%)
Avg./Slugging on contact: .273/.409 before, .357/.607 after (.369/.621)
Line on PAs ending with fastball: .150/.313/.225 before, 303/.452/.515 after (.280/.395/.471)

Hauver is 26, doesn’t play center and isn’t hailed for his defensive prowess, so you’d might as well treat him like a first baseman in terms of how he’ll need to hit to get noticed. Also, elements of last year’s hot streak are unsustainable, like a .512 average on contact including a .372 average on exit velocities under 95. There’s almost nothing he could do to make the Opening Day roster. (I guess if he’s still slugging 2.000 a month from now, we can revisit.) Still, if can maintain a good portion of last year’s late improvement, he’s going to get noticed.

 

[saddles]

Andrew Chafin had to take a minor league deal with the Tigers. He looked bad for us last year.

 

[saddles]

Abimelec Ortiz with a HR today. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of year he has this year

 

[Kelleyman]

Abimelec Ortiz with a HR today. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of year he has this year

He’s a bull

 

[Kelleyman]

Church not so good outing
Does have decent velo but too much up

 

[Duane1952]

9-0 going to the bottom of the first.

They had their hitting and scoring shoes today.

 

[saddles]

Garabito had good results in 2 innings today, and is a candidate to be a long man in the pen.

 

[Kelleyman]

Garabito had good results in 2 innings today, and is a candidate to be a long man in the pen.

Looking more and more that Kumar and Leiter start in AAA. Dinning a good start too.
Legitimate depth that can do more than fill in

 

[saddles]

Looking more and more that Kumar and Leiter start in AAA. Dinning a good start too.
Legitimate depth that can do more than fill in

Yeah, I have thought Leiter would be in AAA all offseason. When they acquired Eovaldi with no starting pitcher being traded, that made it evident Rocker would start out in AAA, too.

That gives Rocker a chance to build up his innings modestly this year so he can go all out next year. It also allows Leiter to finish his development. Meanwhile, it makes for great depth.