“I’m in the best shape of my career.”

“The past is behind me.”

“I am in a much better headspace.”

“I have a new approach at the plate.”

Cliché season starts today. 

Every player is at the top of their game. Every player is looking forward to their best season ever. Every player is looking for a total turnaround.

Now, they have one-hundred-sixty-two games to make it happen. It’s a clean slate. 

For the first time in a long time, there is optimism. The Rangers aren’t relying on players they developed. They are relying on players they went out and got: Corey Seager. Marcus Semien. Mitch Garver. Kole Cahloun. Brad Miller. Jon Gray. Greg Holland. 

This is the new generation of Texas Rangers. With any luck they will be joined by another generation in the next couple of years and the Rangers will be relevant again.

But until then, at least they are interesting. And, they might even be fun to watch. They will be competitive. And, with a bit of luck, they could actually be in the playoff hunt.

But it’s a long season, you have to take it one game at a time.

You can’t win them all, though, if you don’t win the first.

The game is won between the lines, not on paper.

It comes down to execution.

Yes, cliché season is here. 

Let there be baseball. We haven’t had this excitement since 2016. 

*****