Texas Rangers 2017 preseason profile: Rougned Odor
Second baseman Odor had a breakout season in 2016 and now looks to establish himself as a cornerstone to the Texas Rangers lineup.
Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor became a household name to baseball fans across the country last season. Sure, a lot of that had to do with an unconventional “swing.” But he proved his value far beyond one giant slug. He established himself as one of baseball’s most surprising power threats.
What Rougie did in 2016
After seeing significant playing time his first two seasons in the league, Odor entered 2016 knowing he would play second base full time for the Texas Rangers. He’d proven that he plays second base well and could gather hits. Yet, his performance last season still came out of nowhere and was key to the Rangers repeating as American League West Champions.
His 33 long-balls led the team and placed him third among all second basemen last season. He also raised his batting average ten points to .271 and drove in 88 runs. He finished third among all Rangers hitters in hits with 164, trailing just Adrian Beltre and Ian Desmond.
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Odor also showed great versatility last season. Against righties, he batted .272 and that average dropped just three points to .269 vs. lefties. The difference was, he hit the ball considerably harder against right-handed pitchers where his slugging percentage was a clear 64 points higher at .519.
Rougie also showed a consistently better batting average and power numbers at home. He batted .314 at Globe Life Park with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs. Plus, when the weather started to reach its warmest temperature, his bat got equally hot.
Odor had his best batting average (.311), on-base percentage (.324) and slugging percentage (.557) in July. He also hit six home runs and drove in 15 RBIs that month. But it took its toll as his numbers dropped after that.
He did show room for improvement defensively, committing 22 errors and finishing with a .970 fielding percentage. His range factor numbers weren’t terrible, but he certainly hasn’t shown the defensive ability many scouts touted him for. But the summary of Rougned Odor’s 2016 season is that he became a force. He established himself as the long-term second baseman for the Texas Rangers.
What Rougie will do in 2017
Odor proved himself offensively last season and he’s laid a great foundation to build on in 2017. He’ll become an even better contact hitter, raising his average to the range of .290 with an OBP of about .330 and a SLG of .550.
With the added power bats the Rangers have gained in the offseason, Odor might not lead the team in home runs, but he’ll still come close. He’ll repeat as a 30 home run hitter this season and he’ll drive in close to 90 runs with 35 doubles. Rougie will lower his strikeout total a bit, but his walk total won’t rise much.
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Defensively, he’ll improve his game as well. He’ll see his error total go down, and like he has throughout his career, he’ll continue to have a flair for the dramatic. The occasional routine play may still eat him up a bit, but he’ll be solid throughout the season. By the time the 2017 season ends, Odor will establish himself as part of the future for the Texas Rangers organization.