Texas Rangers Rougned Odor: Sleeper Second Baseman in 2016
By Bill Pivetz
The Texas Rangers were one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league in 2015. The team made a resurgence in the AL West by winning 20 of their last 32 games. Alongside their power-hitting combination, the Rangers got a lot of help from a revived second baseman. With a great second half, Rougned Odor will be a sleeper second baseman entering the 2016 season.
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Odor entered the league on May 8 of the 2014 season. In 114 games, he had 100 hits, nine home runs, 48 RBI and a .259 batting average. Those were good numbers, but not good enough to get him into the top-30.
However, Odor was not able to build on his rookie season and progress. He regressed. A lot. In the first 29 games of the 2015 season, he had 13 hits, one home run, nine RBI, 25 strikeouts and a .144 batting average. As a result, the Rangers optioned Odor to Triple-A Round Rock.
Something must have clicked for Rougned Odor because he was dominating Triple-A pitching. In 30 games, he had 38 hits, five home runs, 19 RBI and a .352 batting average. With those results, the Rangers had no choice but to call Odor back up to the main roster.
From June 15 until the end of the season, Odor hit .292 with 98 hits, 15 home runs, 52 RBI, 54 strikeouts and 16 walks. With an improved second part of his 2015 season, Odor finished as the 19th-best second baseman and 236th overall on the ESPN Player Rater.
Rougned Odor was a 21st-round draft pick, 206.3 ADP, as the 15th second baseman drafted in ESPN leagues. In standard leagues, Odor was likely a middle infield option or utility player, but put up starting second baseman-like numbers when he came back from Triple A.
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Looking ahead to 2016, Odor is in a great spot. The Rangers have two great power hitters in Prince Fielder, the 2015 Comeback Player of the Year, and Adrian Beltre. The offense also got great production from first baseman Mitch Moreland. Odor spent a lot of 2015 hitting in the bottom half of the batting order, which isn’t a bad thing. While Fielder, Beltre and Moreland are driving home runs, Odor was bringing them in with his hits.
While Rougned Odor doesn’t possess the same speed of other second basemen, but his contact rate and ability to get on base makes him a valuable pick later in drafts.
Projections: 120 hits, 15 home runs, 62 RBI, six stolen bases, .263 batting average
Draft: Round 19