Nomar Mazara
What to like
Mazara is a professional hitter. He possesses plate discipline, he hits the ball to all fields, and he is an outstanding situational hitter. He’s earned the trust of Manager Jeff Banister, as Mazara spent almost all of 2017 hitting either 3rd or 5th in the lineup.
Let me reiterate, Nomar Mazara is 22 years old and he his hitting 3rd almost every day in a major league lineup. Think about that. Amazingly, Mazara has not even scraped his potential.
Nomara Mazara compares to Rangers all-timer, Rafael Palmeiro. Like Palmeiro, Mazara has a swing that looks effortless. It appears he’s barely swinging, yet the ball flies off his bat. Mazara has moonshot capabilities, something Palmeiro was not necessarily known for. Based on the eye test, Mazara is right there with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge when it comes to consistent exit velocity off the bat.
What he needs to prove in 2018
Plate discipline can play as a strength for Mazara; however, it can also play as a weakness. Often times, he will see too many pitches.
The 3rd through 5th places in the lineup warrant aggressiveness. Those are the most opportunistic spots in the lineup. Teams expect players in that lineup range to drive the most runners in and to hit the most home runs. Mazara was outstanding with runners in scoring position last season, as he did notch 101 RBI. But a more aggressive approach in 2018 will lead to more RBI and more home runs. Bottom line, the Rangers don’t need him to walk, they need him to drive runners in.
Secondly, Mazara needs to be more consistent. It makes no sense for a swing as smooth as Mazara’s to be so streaky. Just look at his month-to-month batting averages:
April—.229
May—.340
June—.202
July—.205
August—.287
Sept/Oct—.237
If you watch him play routinely, then the above numbers will seem very deceiving. Mazara’s toolbox is much too packed to allow for that kind of inconsistency. He has the “it” factor that can make him a top-tier MLB hitter. The Texas Rangers need to see Nomar Mazara take a step towards the top-tier in 2018.