Even though spring stats are irrelevant, they do keep track of them, and it’s fun to see what people are doing. Like watching reality TV. You know it’s not real. But it’s on.

The Rangers have played seven spring games, won five, lost one, tied one.  There are some notable individual stats on offense.

Elier Hernandez has played in all seven games. The twenty-nine-year-old center fielder is hitting .636 with two doubles and a triple. Hernandez has fourteen games of big-league experience, all with Texas, all in 2022. He hit .182. 

Ezequiel Duran is hitting .462. Duran was instrumental in the Rangers getting off to such a fast start last year when he filled in at shortstop after Corey Seager went down eleven games into the season. He hit .308 the first half of the season and was a real savior. He cooled considerable in the second half, batting just .226, so much so that he was left off the postseason roster in what had to have been a huge gut punch.

Jerad Walsh is at .444. He’s desperately trying to turn his career around after looking so promising in 2020 and ‘21, and so disappointing in ‘22 and ’23. Right now, he appears to be back on track. Although he’s 4-for-9, he has no extra-base hits and no runs batted in.

Andrew Knizner and Josh Smith are at .400. Knizner has the backup catcher job sewn up no matter what he does, because no matter what Sam Huff does it seems he always needs more consistent at-bats in the minor leagues, always. 

Josh Smith seems to have the upper hand on a utility role based off his success last year. But Matt Duffy is certainly doing what he can to open some eyes and slide in there, too. The fact that both Corey Seager and Josh Jung are injured might bode well for him.

Wyatt Langford, on the other end of the spectrum, is 1-for-10 so far this spring, an even .100 average, with, uncharacteristically, five strikeouts. This is a guy who tore the ball off the cover his senior year of college, which ended just eight months ago, and continued that same tear in the Rookie League, Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, known for his impeccable eye, ability to make contact, and walking more than striking out. That hasn’t been on display yet. But, it’s early.

Again, spring stats are like beer league softball stats. Meaningless but still fun to look at.

*****

TODAY’S GAME

Texas vs San Francisco, 2:05