Texas Rangers: Rougned Odor up against the clock in escalated 2020 season

With his status as the Texas Rangers starting second baseman already in doubt, Rougned Odor will be further pressured by a time-crunched 2020 season.

As if Rougned Odor wasn’t already under enough pressure. The Texas Rangers have him under a microscope, and at least three players are prepared to overtake his position if he falls any further.

There’s uniformly an angry mob calling for his job, whether directly at the ballpark or indirectly through social media. To make matters worse, his margin for error is at an all-time low as he approaches an expedited season that will be ultra-competitive from the start.

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He will not have time to “figure things out” at the plate. Management will not be as forgiving, and the front office will not allow itself to be blinded by his hefty contract like in years past. The onus is purely on Odor in 2020.

His history with the Rangers is riveting. He became a cult hero when he uppercut Jose Bautista’s jaw on a Sunday afternoon, creating a stand-alone moment that will live on forever in baseball lore.

At one point, fans considered Odor the next face of the franchise. He was young and energetic and exuded a swagger that automatically drew people in. Plus, he posted back-to-back 30-homer seasons in 2016 and 2017. His game was far from pristine, but there was plenty of time for him to fine-tune his skillset and fulfill his potential.

Fast forward to the present day, and Rougned Odor remains far from pristine. He put together a nauseating 2019 campaign, struggling to hit above the Mendoza Line and striking out in 34% of his at-bats. His OBP dropped 43 points and his WAR 2.1 points from 2018. Though, amongst the ugliness, he did manage to knock 30 home runs and drive in 93 runs.

Odor is an enigma. He’ll strike out ten times in four games and then pop four long balls over the next three. On a given night, he could pass as the worst player on the field or the best.

If you watched him play on a nightly basis last year, you probably wondered why is name kept showing up in the next day’s lineup. But then, you review his end-of-season tallies, and your eyebrows raise at the sight of very competitive run-producing statistics – the home runs and the RBI.

Is he hurting the Texas Rangers or making them better? That’s a question manager Chris Woodward must ponder constantly.

One thing is for sure: Rougned Odor cannot be trusted to perform consistently. And that’s why Woodward may lean on a few players to hold down second base over 60 games.

Nick Solak has prompted a lot of intrigue, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa was having his way in spring training before it came to an abrupt end. There’s also Anderson Tejada and Eli White, two middle infielders on the cusp of a big-league debut.

Chris Woodward might select two or three of those guys and play the hot hand throughout the season. Matchups could also prevail, for example playing Odor against right-handed pitchers and Solak/Kiner-Falefa vs. left-handers. Or, he could pencil Odor into the lineup every game, as he’s done historically.

Only time will tell. If the Rangers plan to win at all costs, however, their manager better handle second base in a way conducive to that goal. They certainly can’t afford a lousy August from any of their 2B candidates. Odor should get the first shot to hold down the bag.