Texas Rangers 2017 preseason preview: Shin-Soo Choo
Over the past three seasons, Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo has failed to live up to expectations. But with a new season upon us and some competition behind him, what will that mean for 2017?
For Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, it’s been a rough few seasons. Entering what will be his fourth season with the club, he’s battled consistency and health. But, it looks like he’ll start seeing more time at DH, which could allow him to focus more on his offensive game.
What we’ve seen from Choo in the past
We really didn’t see much from Choo in 2016, to be honest. He struggled to stay healthy and missed a lot of playing time because of it. So, to really gain insight and see a pattern of his career as a Texas Rangers, we have to look beyond just last season and take his past three years as a whole.
Unlike most players, Choo didn’t see much of a boost to his offensive numbers after coming to Arlington. While Globe Life Park is widely categorized as a “hitter-friendly” ballpark, his slash line there of .258/.368/.406 is well below his career average as a whole.
More from Dallas Sports
- Re-grading the Dallas Cowboys 2017 draft: Looking back
- Dallas Cowboys defense is great but also has room for improvement
- FC Dallas products play major role in USMNT win over Honduras
- Mavs Gaming and WWP Honor Mental Health Month
- Texas Rangers: 3 biggest questions this offseason
Granted, his health could have quite a bit to do with that. In both his first and third seasons with the Rangers, Choo suffered DL stints that cost him to miss quite a few games. In 2014, he only played in 123, starting 119 of them. Then last season, he started just 46 games. Perhaps some time where he remains healthy could be the key.
It seemed to help in 2015, which was clearly his best season with Texas. That year, he played in 149 games with 145 starts and batted .276 with a .375 on-base percentage and a .463 slugging percentage. Choo hit 22 home runs that season and drove in 82 runs. He also drew 76 walks and collected 153 hits that year, as well.
While those numbers still fall short of some of his 2009-10 seasons with the Indians, he still had a solid year. He proved that he could, in fact, put up some pretty good numbers in a Texas Rangers uniform. But after last season, he’ll have to prove himself once again.
Shin Soo Choo isn't 'elated' at the idea of DH'ing every day for the Texas Rangers.But chances are good, that's where he's going to wind up playing most of 2017…
Posted by Mike Leslie on Wednesday, March 1, 2017
What we can expect from Choo in the future
As we look ahead to Choo’s fourth year of his seven year deal with the Texas Rangers, there is a little bit of hope on the horizon. But it all centers around his ability to remain healthy. Obviously, injuries are nearly impossible to predict. Yet, with Choo’s history, a full 162 is highly unlikely. Let’s play things conservatively and say he starts about 130.
He’ll adjust well this season and hit around 18 home runs and drive in 65 runs. His batting average will raise to the range of .280 and he’ll have an on-base percentage of .370 and he’ll slug about .470.
Next: Rangers preview: Rougned Odor
As he has throughout his career, Choo will progressively improve over the season. He’ll have his best month in September where he’ll flirt with a .400 average for the month and just might be a catalyst for the Rangers offense down the stretch. When all is said and done, he’ll put together his most successful season with the Texas Rangers.