Seager Continues Torrid Run, Jung Impresses in Texas Rangers Loss to Cubs
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The Texas Rangers dropped their second straight game in Cactus League play to the Chicago Cubs 9-6 on Tuesday. While many teams have seen some of their stars depart camp to participate for their country in the World Baseball Classic, the Rangers have retained the majority of their star power.
One star in particular, shortstop Corey Seager, has been turning heads this spring. For the second day in a row, Seager hit an opposite field home run in the first inning to take the early lead. Tuesday's was even more impressive in the sense it came off of Cubs starter Adrian Sampson, a lead candidate to make Chicago's Opening Day rotation.
Seager's inaugural season in Arlington did not go as intended. Slashing .245/.317/.455 with 33 home runs was not up to his, or the team's, expectations when he came to Texas. While Spring Training holds little weight in team performance, come the regular season it can be a good gauge for player performance. Especially so when a shift in mentality occurs.
Overall, Seager seems to be in a better place by being more comfortable going into his second year and it is showing in his spring performance.
Just as impressive on Tuesday afternoon was third baseman Josh Jung. His arrival at the MLB level has been long awaited, as he is heralded as the future of the hot corner for the Rangers.
Jung played just 26 games at the Major League level last year, and like Seager, didn't quite live up to the expectations he placed on himself.
In the same vein, his Cactus League campaign has been promising. On Tuesday, Jung launched a solo home run off of Sampson in the third to bring the score to 6-2. It's a good sign from the third baseman as he enters his first full season with the Rangers.
On the pitching side of the house, prospect Cole Winn was given the nod for the start. Over the course of two innings, Winn allowed two earned runs, one of which was a solo shot from Cubs first baseman Edwin Ríos.
It was an encouraging start for Winn, who made his second appearance this spring.
Texas held a strong lead over Chicago through five innings when the Cubs switched into the next gear. A big fourth inning, in which they scored three runs, gave the Cubs the momentum needed to complete their comeback.
It was the second time in as many days that the Rangers could not hold onto the lead during the late innings. Relievers Josh Sborz and Reyes Moronta gave up a combined five earned runs in 1 1/3 innings pitched.
Welcome to Spring Training.
If their is a silver lining to the performance, it's that Sborz, who pitched just 22 1/3 innings last season with the Rangers, is healthy and on the mound. He could play a role this season out of the bullpen. However, Texas would like to see more from him as the regular season draws nearer. It's still that point in the spring where one could chalk it up to being early.
The largest takeaway from Tuesday is that the Rangers have an offense that seeing and hitting the ball very well. Their mainstays in the lineup are performing well and taking the necessary steps to ensure they are ready for Opening Day.
Young players, such as center fielder Bubba Thompson and infielder Luisangel Acuña, showed up on Tuesday with impressive performances. It's an encouraging sign for the upcoming season.
Still, despite it being just Spring Training, losing another one in the late innings always stings just a little bit.
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