The equipment trucks are headed to Surprise. Filled with bats and balls and bags and hope.

Pitchers and catchers are headed to Surprise. Filled with the promise of being the best rotation in Rangers history and a bullpen that is anybody’s guess, like most bullpens are from year to year.

Bruce Bochy is headed to Surprise. Along with Mike Maddux and the rest of the Rangers coaching staff, Bochy brings managerial experience and success the Rangers haven’t had in a long time.

Mostly, hope is headed to Surprise, Arizona, as the 2023 spring training gets underway tomorrow with pitchers and catchers reporting. The full squad workout report date is February 20. The Rangers first exhibition game is February 24 against Kansas City.

It’s an odd mix of hope this year. Real optimism in having a rotation bolstered by Jacob deGrom. Real optimism in having a future Hall-of-Fame manager in Bruce Bochy. But tempered optimism in an offense that didn’t improve over the offseason, and a bullpen that is basically a wing and a prayer.

But, the trucks are headed to Surprise. That’s baseball’s version of the groundhog who sees his shadow.

Baseball is on its way.

And that is cause for optimism in itself.