Nelson Cruz and the Rangers

by bodyiq on Mar 24, 2009 4:44 PM EDT

It looks like Nelson Cruz will finally get his chance to be an everyday outfielder for the Texas Rangers this year. At age 28, what can we expect? Will he bat in a productive place in the batting order? Can he hit 30 HR and maintain a solid batting average?

Is it worth mentioning that he has played a ton of ball over the past year to include:

AAA

MLB

Winter ball

WBC

Spring training

Will this wear him down over the course of the year or can he sustain his hot bat for the forseeable future?

What kind of numbers do we see him producing this year and in what place will he bat in the order? I like this guy a ton and hope he does well.

All comments welcome....

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303/441/586

Nobody punished like Earl and No one was nastier than Ryan

by Garcia34 on Mar 24, 2009 7:19 PM EDT reply actions

hmm

the Ranger fan thinks he’s gonna be the AL MVP.

i totally see that.

yup.

Founder of the Johnny Giavotella fan club.

by doublestix on Mar 24, 2009 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions

you're forgetting

that Josh Hamilton will put up better numbers than those

by Locke000 on Mar 24, 2009 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions

That OBP doesn't fit

The BA looks ok, the slugging percentage (specifically the isoP) looks iffy, but the OBP is really off. Nelson Cruz has never put up a walk percentage that would come even close to that kind of a BA/OBP differential. And things don’t get easier when you face major league pitching. Especially as you start to get around the league and pitchers pick up the holes in your swing.

By comparison, that OBP would have led the AL 4 out of the last 5 years. That isn’t going to happen.

by nobodyinparticular on Mar 24, 2009 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions

that would be great, especially the .441

id be happy with 85% of what ryan ludwick did last year, and i think when you look at it in those terms, its easy to project more

by drpat on Mar 24, 2009 7:20 PM EDT reply actions

Makes you wonder...

since he has not had any extended time off since last season, maybe he is ahead of the curve this Spring Training when it comes to timing. While everyone else is still trying to work out the winter kinks of their mechanics and such, he may not have that problem. Could this lead to high expectations of him by the Texas managers and decision makers?

With that said, I think he will be fine this season, in fact I tried to get him in my keeper league this offseason, but was outbid and didn’t get him. I am a believer in his talent and ability, the above question wasn’t trying to bash him at all.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Mar 24, 2009 10:28 PM EDT reply actions

.270/.360/.480

That’s a more realistic line that probably represents the high end of what to expect. But given his skill set, I could see it happening. He really seemed to turn a corner last year.

by guru4u on Mar 24, 2009 11:14 PM EDT reply actions

As a Rangers fan

I have no idea what to expect, he’s all over the map. He can be an extremely great hitter or he can be really lousy. Which Cruz will we get?

I personally think he’s a little overrated because I don’t think he’ll be a consistent hitter the whole season. I predict a .275 BA with nice power #’s.

by Coolbean04 on Mar 25, 2009 9:27 AM EDT reply actions