The hottest competition in Texas Rangers spring training seems to be the battle for the center field spot as the plan entering the 2013 season has always been some kind of platoon between Craig Gentry and Cuban prospect Leonys Martin.
The two haven't made the dynamic of the competition and the breakdown of playing time come March 31 any easier or clearer as both players have had phenomenal springs at the plate.
Gentry, who has two career home runs — one in each of the past two seasons — hit his second home run of the spring on Sunday, and is hitting .360 with a .484 on-base percentage and is a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts this spring. This all after he hit .304 with a .367 on-base last season while nearly doubling his career-high for playing time with 269 plate appearances.
Martin, who undoubtedly has more ceiling than Gentry, is hitting .414 with a .471 on-base this spring and is 2-for-4 on stolen base attempts with two triples and two doubles.
Martin will probably end up getting more playing time as the season shakes out but Gentry is definitely showing he deserves a chance to once again be a significant contributor to the Rangers in 2013, and the added power could be an even bigger bonus.
