Texas Rangers first half report card
Corner infield
Despite his injury at the beginning of the year, the Rangers have gotten considerable production from third baseman Beltre. But Joey Gallo played the position primarily until Beltre returned from the DL, and he hasn’t fared nearly as well as Beltre.
Then of course, Gallo moved over to first, taking his .193 batting average with him. Because he’s played both positions, the Rangers have an 81 game batting average of .206 from their first baseman and a .209 at third.
Guys like Mike Napoli certainly haven’t helped the cause, either. He had a skimpy slash line of .192/.272/.415 following Saturday’s game.
All that really helps the numbers are Beltre’s decent average and power and the sheer enormity of Gallo’s power. His 21 homers after 81 games sure set an incredible pace, with all coming from playing either first or third. And they’ve been towering shots for the most part.
Yet, he’s batted just .192 when playing from the corner infield. In essence, he’s shown two major offensive traits this season: power and consistency. The trouble is, that consistency has been consistently dreadful.
Defensively, Beltre sets a gold standard at third base. He’s held that position down for years and there’s a reason he’s won multiple Gold Glove Awards. On the other hand (no pun intended), Gallo needs work. He’s far better at first base than at the hot corner, but he’s still average at best playing first. It’s a good thing he hits a lot of home runs.