Spring is in the air! While the Texas Rangers have brought a sense of optimism into their first week of spring training in 2021, one cannot help but notice some differences heading into this season as well. While you could argue that it is impossible to judge how a 162-game season will turn out based on only two games of spring ball, it is never too early to take notes of what has happened thus far in Rangers spring training.
New Pitch Limits
The Rangers have played two games so far. Their first game on March 2nd did not go as planned. In his spring debut, right-hander Kohei Arihara went two innings. He gave up five hits and three earned runs in those two innings of the six-inning affair which ended in a 5-5 tie against the Chicago White Sox in Glendale, Arizona. These games aren’t necessarily about the results, however. Arihara will have several more starts, but his pitch limit made this one noteworthy. In his two innings, he only threw 20 pitches. His outing was cut short under new rules that deal with COVID-19 and smaller spring training rosters. This spring, any team can pull their starter after 20 pitches if they choose to. This will take some getting used to for the fans. It will be interesting to see if the rule becomes permanent.
Quick Turnaround
The Rangers didn’t have much time to dwell on the tie against Chicago. They were right back at it again on Wednesday, this time against the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels proved once again to be a tough rival for the Rangers. Two-way star Shohei Ohtani crushed a massive home run off Rangers right-hander Hans Crouse. The two-run shot, which cleared the batter’s eye in dead center, was estimated at 468 feet with an exit velocity of 107 mph. The Rangers took the 6-2 loss, and their spring record now stands at 0-2. Hopefully better days are ahead for the Rangers.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
Players Mentioned:
Kohei Arihara, Shohei Ohtani, Hans Crouse
