Texas Rangers: Opening Day Lineup Preview

Let’s look at the Texas Rangers Opening Day lineup…

With Opening Day less than two weeks away for the Texas Rangers, we will take a look at the potential starting lineup for the club’s first game at the new Globe Life Field during the pandemic-shortened MLB season.

We already know that Lance Lynn is going to throw the first official pitch at Globe Life Field for the Texas Rangers in 2020, but there are still a few questions as to how the rest of the lineup is going to stack up for the club against the Colorado Rockies later this month. In this week’s article, we will preview the club’s projected Opening Day lineup.

SP-Lance Lynn

Lynn had a terrific season last year, posting a 16-11 record with a 3.67 ERA in 33 starts. I would maybe temper expectations a bit for him going into the new season, with maybe just a slight increase in his ERA. In the last three seasons since his injury, he has posted two of them with an ERA below 3.67.

C-Robinson Chirinos

Chirinos rejoined the Texas Rangers after leaving for a season to play for the Houston Astros, and had the best year of his career, in terms of WAR, and also set his career high for games played. In 2020, Chirinos will likely be viewed as a player that will hit around .230 with some power, and be significantly better than Jeff Mathis was last year.

1B-Ronald Guzman

This is going to be one of the more interesting position battles to watch for the Texas Rangers. Apparently Nick Solak has been taking reps at first base, so he could eventually take over the position.

As of now, I think Guzman is going to be the Opening Day starter, but on very thin ice, with Solak training to potentially take his place, and may take over by the end of the season. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is also a dark horse that could potentially take over, as he has had a terrific pre-season.

2B-Rougned Odor

As outlined in my article from last week, Odor has continued to be red-hot during camp, likely cementing his spot as the starting second baseman for the club with Opening Day quickly approaching. Over the course of his career, he has either been really good or really really bad, so it’s hard to really know what to expect from him, but with his current hot streak, he should be able to carry that into the season.

3B-Todd Frazier

Frazier was brought in by the Texas Rangers during the offseason to help fill the void Adrian Beltre left at third base after the 2018 season (after posting a solid year for the New York Mets). He should have a solid season, where at the very worst, he would be a replacement level player with some power from the corner.

SS-Elvis Andrus

The key for Elvis Andrus this season is to stay healthy in 2020. He lost over 60 games in 2018 due to injury, lost 15 games in 2019, and seemed to be hindered by his injuries at times during both seasons. If Andrus is healthy, he should be able to hit near .300 this season with a little bit of the power that he’s discovered over the last few years.

LF-Willie Calhoun

My how times change. Willie Calhoun was expected to miss the first few months of the season, but due to the pandemic, he will likely be the Opening Day left fielder for the Texas Rangers. Calhoun had a breakout season in 2019, hitting 21 home runs in 83 games for the club. Calhoun is one of the purest hitters on the team, and will hopefully be able to continue playing well in the 2020 season.

CF-Danny Santana

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Santana’s career saw a revival in 2019, after pretty much being given up on by the Braves. He was terrific in 2020, hitting .283 with 28 home runs in 130 games, becoming a super utility player for the Texas Rangers. This season, he will likely be the team’s everyday center fielder. He may not post numbers that were as good as 2019, but he should still be a quality player for the team at the very least.

RF-Joey Gallo

Gallo was in the midst of a breakout season in 2019, before injuries derailed his campaign. For the 2020 season, I would expect Joey Gallo to post numbers similar to 2019, where he hit .253 with 22 home runs in 70 games. He will still be a high strikeout guy, but I think he’s going to hit for reasonable average, and potentially be considered All-Star caliber for the year when considering his OPS.

DH-Shin-Soo Choo

Choo is entering the final year of his contract, and has been basically the same player over the last three seasons, hitting around .260 with an OBP around .370 during the time. He should be able to continue to play around that level, even though he will be entering his age 38 season.

Choo may see some regression, but with his elite eye, he should still put up solid numbers in his golden years.

• Published on 07/13/2020 at 16:01 PM
• Last updated at 07/13/2020 at 13:19 PM