Mike Napoli was a hero in 2011 for the Texas Rangers and was a Strike Three call or a Nelson Cruz flub in the outfield away from being the named the World Series MVP that year. After the 2012 season, he left for Boston via free agency.
Now, he's back, and he's cheap, and the expectations are drastically changed for the 33-year-old slugger who can still make mince meat of left-handed pitching from time to time.
That's what he's become at this point, simply a platoon player to platoon at first base with Mitch Moreland, who crushes righties and isn't so great against lefties.
On Sunday, Napoli got just his second start in his seven games since being traded back to Texas from Boston. He'd previously made just one start and then five appearances as a pinch-hitter and had no hits to show for it.
That all changed on Sunday when Napoli collected two hits, a double and a hard-hit single, giving fans a good reason to revive the "Nap-o-li" chant.
If Napoli can start hitting the ball against lefties on a consistent basis, it's going to add a lot to the Rangers over this final stretch.
Regardless of that, Napoli's addition gives the Rangers another player with significant postseason experience to draw from down the stretch.
