May 8, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor (73) bats during the game and makes his major league debut against the Colorado Rockies at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Rougned Odor was called up to the and made his big league debut on a day that even the biggest baseball fan can get distracted from the game. So it is no big surprise that I had to go back and look at the clips from Odor’s debut after I finished watching the NFL Draft. Don’t let the lack of attention fool you though, Odor cold be a real impact player from the jump.
I got to see a lot of Odor this spring and even wrote that it making the opening day roster would be a mistake, but he went back to Double-A and continued to produce. The Texas Rangers have really struggled to get production from second base with Jurickson Profar on the DL, and they are looking for the 20-year old Odor to fix that. He has a good mix of power and speed from the left side of the plate, but I can see him really struggling against good left-handed pitching, just as he saw in his 0-4 debut.
The Rangers will see two right-handers this weekend as they host the Boston Red Sox, where he should get the chance to flash the hit tool that has made him a solid prospect.
On the bases, Odor does an excellent job of reading pitchers, allowing for more steals than his speed would traditionally suggest, and he recognizes the ball in the gap very early, allowing him to go first-to-third on balls other players may not. His defense is just a bit better than average, but his bat could make him one of the better second baseman in the league in time. It will be interesting to see what the Rangers do when Profar gets healthy, but Odor could very well make himself a key part of the Rangers lineup before long.