Rookie Should Help Rangers' Run Game
The Texas Rangers got a taste of what outfielder Evan Carter could do last season. But he only played three weeks at the end of the regular season and 17 postseason games. Much of what Carter could do went relatively untapped.
That should change in 2024, and MLB.com believes it will change in one key area.
The site revealed a list of 10 players it believes should “run more” in 2024. This doesn’t necessarily include stolen bases, though in many cases, that’s the first place the analysis turned.
Carter made the list at No. 4, behind Philadelphia’s Trea Turner, the New York Yankees’ Anthony Volpe and Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson.
In 23 regular-season games with the Rangers, he stole three bases. He also batted .306 with a .413 on-base percentage, along with five home runs and 12 RBI. The Rangers weren’t a team greedily stealing bases during their World Series title run.
The Rangers were last in the league with 79 stolen bases in 2023.
Outfielder Travis Jankowski led the team with 19 stolen bases. Two others had 14 — second baseman Marcus Semien and outfielder Leody Taveras. No other Rangers player reached double digits.
What piqued MLB.com’s interest in Carter was his recorded speed. Per the site, he has near-elite sprint speed. With the Rangers, he averaged 29.6 feet per second. In the postseason, Carter had as many stolen bases as he did during the regular season.
Carter’s performance in the minors showed how productive he could be as a base stealer. He had 66 steals in three minor-league seasons. In his two seasons with full-season affiliates (2022-23), he stole at least 25 bases.
His speed, combined with the power he has shown, makes him a potential 20 homer/20 steals player in 2024, per MLB.com.
The Rangers had a pair of 20/20 players in 2022: Semien and outfielder Adolis García.
Carter is expected to be the club’s full-time left fielder on Opening Day, so a 20/20 season should be doable. He’s already been projected to be a candidate for American League Rookie of the Year.
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