Ian Kinsler is one of the most polarizing Texas Rangers in recent years. He has so much talent but also has a tendency to swing early in counts and pop balls up, starting DFW-wide hashtags on Twitter in tribute such as #IKPU and #PUSS (pop up, slumped shoulders).
So far this year, Kinsler has done a lot of pulling the baseball, which is where he always takes the ball, but has shown some signs of trying to broaden his offensive game. In the Rangers' opening loss to Houston, he had a hard-hit ball to right field that was caught.
On Sunday night in the midst of a 3-for-3 game with 4 RBIs, Kinsler did something he hadn't done in ages when he hit a three-run home run to straightaway right field, right over a retreating Josh Hamilton's head, in the sixth inning to give the Rangers a commanding 7-3 lead to win their series over the rival Los Angeles Angels and their second series of the season.
The home run to right was Kinsler's first of the kind since 2009 and could be a sign of Kinsler's maturation at the plate after working with new hitting coach Dave Magadan, who came from Boston over the winter.
If Kinsler can start going the other way some of the time and be a little more patient at the plate (something Magadan preaches), the Rangers could be in store for a big year from their polarizing leadoff man.
