Texas Rangers 2017 preseason preview: Jonathan Lucroy
It didn’t take long for catcher Jonathan Lucroy to prove his worth to the Texas Rangers in 2016. This season, he’ll show why he’s one of the league’s elite backstops.
When the Texas Rangers sent Lewis Brinson, Luis Ortiz and a player to be named later for Jeremy Jeffress and Jonathan Lucroy, there was far more at play than offense. Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels was thinking of his pitching staff.
What Lucroy did in 2016
Obviously Lucroy brought a big bat with him to Texas. But his true value comes in what he can do behind the plate as opposed to standing beside it. Daniels recognized that from the beginning.
"Jonathan Lucroy is one of the best catchers in the game. (He’s) a two-way player. I think he’s going to make our pitchers better."
He did make the pitchers better. Opposing hitters had a slash line of .252/.317/.405 with him behind the dish. The difference was most visible when he caught Yu Darvish. After their first game together, Darvish vowed never to shake off Lucroy again. The vow paid off and Darvish was extremely efficient to close out the season. Imagine what the two can do together with a full spring together.
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Lucroy also shut down a lot of baserunners, stopping their stolen base attempts 36% of the time: a good seven percent above the league average. Granted, they didn’t try too often against him once he joined the Rangers, but his 40% success rate in Milwaukee last season might be what gave them pause.
Then of course, there was the bat of Lucroy. For the year, he finished with a slash of .292/.355/.500. He hit 25 home runs, of which 11 came as a Ranger. Considering he played half the number of games with Texas (47) as he did with Milwaukee (95), it’s clear he had a power surge in Arlington.
His slash line at Globe Life Park in 2016 was .293/.398/.573. Six of his 11 home runs in a Rangers uniform came in Arlington. He also showed that he’s a better hitter in day games than at night. This will give manager Jeff Banister something to think about when planning for afternoon games.
By the end of the 2016 season, Rangers fans saw that Lucroy is an all-around talent that doesn’t just play well across the board, he is one of the best across the board. He can hit, hit for power, call a great game, and has a great arm. Not many catchers play that well in so many categories.
What Lucroy will do in 2017
With the way the ball travels at Globe Life Park, a 30 homer season is not out of the question for Lucroy. He has a great lineup batting around him and he’ll drive in at least 90 runs while batting .300 for the second time in his career. (He did it in 2012, but didn’t have the minimum 3.1 PA per team game to count.)
Next: Rangers preview: Tony Barnette
He’ll continue to frustrate opposing baserunners by throwing out 35% of them. Texas pitchers will drop their ERA with him catching down to around 4.25. By the time the season ends, his MVP status within the ranks of the team will be fully understood. You thought you liked 2016 Lucroy? Wait until you see this season, because he is going to blow everyone away, and it will be fun to watch.