3 Rangers Hitters Who Have Impressed in Spring Training
Spring training is a good opportunity for players to get into a groove before the long haul of the regular season. Many pitchers are working on their secondary stuff, and hitters take advantage.
What players are doing now won't necessarily reflect their numbers in May, let alone September. However, that doesn't mean performance doesn't matter. Seeing positive progression can go a long way, and these three hitters have had an impressive spring so far.
Honorable mentions: Cam Cauley : The 23-year-old prospect has racked up 11 hits and quickly grabbed the attention of the coaching staff. He's fallen into a 0-10 slump, but the young infielder has shown a lot of promise this spring. Aaron Zavala:Zavala has posted a .480 batting average with six hits in March.
Jake Burger
Jake Burger joined the Texas Rangers in 2025 as a power-hitting first baseman, but injuries and offensive struggles derailed his season. He hit 16 home runs with 53 RBIs with a .419 slugging percentage.
With Adolis Garcia 's departure, a lot of pressure is on Burger to be the power hitter in the middle of the lineup for Skip Schumaker. So far, he has lived up to the billing with three home runs and eight RBIs.
If he can return to form in 2026, Burger can bring a lot of power that the offense desperately missed last season. He'll likely slide into the cleanup spot for Schumaker on Opening Day.
Josh Smith
Josh Smith is another player who will have high expectations with recent departures this offseason. After Marcus Semien was dealt to the New York Mets , Smith became the best option to fill the void at second base.
Smith has had great starts in years past, and that trend is continuing this spring. Nobody is swinging a hotter bat than Smith. He's slashing .406/.537/.875 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. In Texas' 22-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday, Smith hit a grand slam and drew three walks.
Again, the quality of pitching that Smith is facing isn't exceptional, but the numbers are hard to ignore. He'll be an important piece to this Rangers infield, and so far, Smith has proven he can handle the workload.
Andrew McCutchen
The ageless wonder, Andrew McCutchen, recently signed a minor league deal with Texas. The 39-year-old has proven he still has something left in the tank in a limited sample size. He has recorded a hit in each of the four spring training games he's played in.
McCutchen has hit three doubles, four RBIs, and 6-9 at the plate. The idea with signing McCutchen was to give Schumaker another option at DH and a guy who can hit left-handed pitching. Given Joc Pederson 's struggles this spring, there is a possibility he could end up starting on Opening Day.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/rangers/onsi as 3 Rangers Hitters Who Have Impressed in Spring Training .
