Which Texas Rangers Player Can Take Advantage of an 82-Game Season?
Whichever way you slice it, the Major League Baseball season will be significantly shorter than usual. If MLB's current plans are agreed upon by the Players Association, the 2020 season will be essentially half the length of a typical season at 82 games.
This unique season would give teams and players its fair share of challenges. Yet, Texas Rangers budding star Joey Gallo could still shine in a shortened season. As a matter of fact, it could possibly look a lot like his 2019 season.
Gallo missed three weeks in June last season after straining his oblique and was inevitably shut down for the year in late-July when he broke his hamate bone. Gallo was held to only 70 games in 2019.
In those 70 games, Gallo opened many eyes with his newfound approach at the plate, including his own.
"In the first half of 2019, I was pretty good. I was actually like, 'holy s***,'" Gallo told InsideTheRangers.com during spring training. "I'd look at the scoreboard and see my numbers and think that was pretty insane."
Those numbers, in essentially half of a season, included a .253/.389/.598/.986 slash line with 22 home runs and 49 RBIs. Gallo also made a bid for the All Star Game MVP, hitting the only home run for the American League.
If the season starts in early-July as MLB is hoping, it will have been nearly a calendar year since Gallo played a regular season game. Needless to say, the hunger is building for Gallo.
“Obviously we trust the league and our organization," Gallo said during a conference call with local media. "If we go play, wherever it’s going to be, our travel is going to be safe. We are going to do it safely because we know it would not be good if guys started getting sick...I am ready to do just about anything to get ready to get back on the field.”
A shortened season could be exactly what Gallo needs to bounce back from a long absence away from the game. Pitchers are going to be put into a precarious position, especially from the outset. Three weeks is likely not enough time for most pitchers to be ready for regular season baseball. Gallo could exploit the situation as one of the more feared hitters in the game.
- SI's InsideThePinstripes.com: One Player From Each MLB Team Most Likely to Excel in 82-Game Season
Gallo will also shift to a full time spot in right field, which is a position more suited for his skill set. In a season turned from a six-month marathon into a three-month sprint, cementing Gallo in right field could help prevent injuries and allow him stay in the lineup as often as possible.
While this season will be a challenge for most players in baseball, Gallo has the mental and physical skills to get through it. He's also on the verge of becoming one of the premier players in baseball.
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