Marcus Semien Relishing Steady Rangers Spring Training
Last season’s thrown-together Spring Training was like a fire drill for the Texas Rangers, as it was with the rest of Major League baseball.
It was a little bit worse for Marcus Semien. As a member of the team negotiating the collective bargaining agreement for the MLB Players Association, workouts were hard to come by before the two sides finally a deal done and players had access to team facilities in 2022.
Semien said the quiet part out loud when he arrived to Surprise on Monday. That had something to do with his slow start last season.
‘When it comes to that position in the union there is a lot of sacrifice,” Semien said. “You’re going to sacrifice some time because it is a CBA year where there’s hours you wish you could be be in the gym.”
Semien said he trained as hard as he could with the time he had during negotiations. After the deal was done, he headed to Surprise and called that training camp a “whirlwind,” as he had to learn names, get to know new teammates and accept a role as a leader of a young team.
All of that manifested itself in the first two months of the season.
Semien’s batting average hovered around .200 for most of April and May, and didn’t hit a home run until late May. His gradual rise coincided with one of the savviest moves former manager Chris Woodward made last season — moving Semien to the leadoff spot.
It seemed to spark him, but he also admits he was working things out on his own, too.
“A lot of it was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, how I wanted to do it so I could be the most consistent and it definitely took more time than I wanted,” Semien said.
By the end of the season, Semien’s batting numbers were respectable — 248/.304/.429/.733 with 101 runs, 31 doubles, five triples, 26 home runs and 83 RBI. He also stole 25 bases, making one of two Rangers last season to have 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases, along with Adolis García.
The slow start on offense didn’t affect his defense, as he was a Gold Glove finalist at second base.
As far as Semien is concerned, the best part about this offseason was the consistency it provided. He could go to the Globe Life Field every day, work out with teammates, have his family nearby and concentrate on getting off to a better start this season.
Everything about this offseason has been a contrast to last season. He believes it can do nothing but help him.
“Just being in the home stadium, having the same equipment and coaches around, as pro players you want to be able to get all of your work in the same place and be as efficient as possible,” Semien said. “For me as a family man, to be able to maximize my time in the stadium and go home with the kids was great.”
The Rangers are preparing for their first Spring Training game on Friday against Kansas City.
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