With the 2015 season on the horizon, it's time to start talking fantasy baseball drafts and where, if at all, you should target Rangers.
Shortstop: Elvis Andrus
2014 stats: .263 batting average, .314 on-base percentage, .647 OPS, 35 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 41 RBIs, 96 strikeouts, 46 walks, 157 games
The Rangers have waited for Elvis Andrus to turn into an elite shortstop. There for a couple of years, he was on the brink of doing just that at a very young age, so much so that it seemed like a formality that he'd be the Yankees answer to replace Derek Jeter upon his retirement.
Then came last season, when Andrus had his worst year as a pro in several key categories after he admittedly reported to spring training out of shape and ended up dealing with a minor injury setback that slowed his progression to get ready for the season — never an admission you want to hear from a guy who is supposed to be a team leader.
This year, Andrus made a point to report to Surprise, Arizona in tip-top shape, and the results on the field have spoken volumes to his dedication this offseason. Spring numbers don't mean much, but good numbers are better than bad, and for Andrus, it was a welcomed sight by the Rangers' brass.
With a week before the regular season, Andrus is hitting .389 with a .410 on-base percentage. He also has two doubles, two triples and a home run. He's showing that gap power that he's teased Rangers' fans with for quite some time, and he appears to be in line for a massive rebound season making him one of the game's top five shortstops if all things fall correctly for him.
