Texas Rangers – 2017 Projected Lineup

1. Shin-Soo Choo, OF

Before you instantly discredit this list, because Carlos Gomez isn’t our pick for leadoff, hear what we have to say. In 2016, Choo hit for a .242 average and a .357 on-base percentage. In those two statistics, Choo outperformed Gomez. While Choo had the smaller sample size, playing in only 48 games, the Texas Rangers have a few years with Choo under their belt, and know his production capabilities. Choo and Gomez have almost identical hits-to-games-played ratios. I don’t want to take away from Gomez, but I believe that Choo would be the better choice at leadoff.

2. Carlos Gomez, OF

Carlos Gomez was one of the players that Texas acquired at the 2016 trade deadline. He has been a massive improvement for the club’s performance behind the plate. He had a .231 average last year, with a .298 OBP. He managed 95 hits in his 118 games played. He is a solid number two in the lineup. Should Choo fail to get on base, Gomez has the head and the talent to work past the pressure of there being an out on the board. The Rangers can feel confident knowing that Gomez would be a great precursor to the best batter on the roster.

[Blake]

3. Adrian Beltre, 3B

Any projection that doesn’t have Beltre hitting in the heart of the order is not worth reading. Then again, people have probably said the same thing about a projection that doesn’t have Gomez leading off. There aren’t many differing opinions on Beltre though. He has been phenomenal for the Texas Rangers. He hit for an impressive .300 average in 2016 and had a .358 OBP. Those stats, in addition to his 32 homers in 153 games, make Beltre the clear choice for number three in the lineup. With potentially two runners on base, is there anyone else you’d want at the plate?