Fantasy baseball: 2020 Texas Rangers fantasy preview

2020 Texas Rangers projected starting lineup:

Shin-Soo Choo, DH (.265, 24 HR, 61 RBI, 15 SB in 563 AB)
Elvis Andrus, SS (.275, 12 HR, 72 RBI, 31 SB in 600 AB)
Willie Calhoun, LF (.269, 21 HR, 48 RBI, 0 SB in 309 AB)
Joey Gallo, RF (.253, 22 HR, 49 RBI, 4 SB in 241 AB)
Todd Frazier, 3B (.251, 21 HR, 67 RBI, 1 SB in 447 AB with NYM)
Danny Santana, CF (.283, 28 HR, 81 RBI, 21 SB in 474 AB)
Rougned Odor, 2B (.205, 30 HR, 93 RBI, 11 SB in 522 AB)
Ronald Guzman, 1B (.219, 10 HR, 36 RBI, 1 SB in 256 AB)
Robinson Chirinos, C (.238, 17 HR, 58 RBI, 1 SB in 366 AB)

Gallo is the big prize here. Even though he only had 241 at bats because of injury, Gallo still slugged 22 homers. He has the best power of anyone on the majors right now. You’ll pay a little in average, but Gallo has the upside to hit 10 homers more than anyone else once the season gets started. Gallo already has 110 homers in just 1,323 major league at bats. Those are monster numbers.

It’s easy to forget about Andrus with all of the other good SS in the league. However, Elvis still hits for a good average, drives in quite a few runs, and is a threat for 30 steals. If you miss out on the elite, Elvis is a strong pick in the middle rounds. Same thing with Odor. He’s good for cheap power, but the average will kill you if he can’t figure out what ailed him last year.

It’s not entirely true that Danny Santana came out of nowhere. The power did, but Santana his .319 with the Twins in his rookie season of 2014. Last year was the first time he was a full-time starter again, and it’s good to know he didn’t lose his speed. He is a strong third outfielder on your fantasy team.

Willie Calhoun also showed good pop last year. His absence of speed ranks him below Santana, but he has legit 30-homer upside.

You know what you get with Choo. He is much more valuable in leagues that count OBP and SLG. He will clog up your UTIL slots, and in leagues where you only have one, that can handcuff your roster. I like Choo in the middle rounds or higher if you have two UTIL slots.

After a year in Houston, Chirinos is back in Texas. Chirinos still has a little bit of pop in his bat if you wait to draft a catcher. It’s a bit unfair to call the Toddfather washed up, but he may be in a platoon situation with Guzman. He’s a late round flier at best.

Prospects to watch:

That platoon may happen because Nick Solak hit five homers in 116 at bats at the end of last season to go with a .293 average. He even swiped a couple of bags! Solak is versatile enough to play all over the place, so Guzman, Frazier, Odor, or Calhoun are all in danger if they start slow. Solak is a very nice pick in the middle rounds just based on eligibility alone. He has already proven that he can hit major league pitching.

Chirinos is just holding a place until Sam Huff is ready, but it seems unlikely that he makes the jump through AA and AAA this year.