7 years agoTexas Rangers corner infielder Joey Gallo will open the season as the starting first baseman after spending the majority of the spring working at the position. More interesting is that he'll supplant shortstop Elvis Andrus as the No. 2 hitter. It raised eyebrows in the spring that the three true outcomes slugger was taking at-bats at the spot normally reserved for the team's best overall hitter, but it appears that manager Jeff Banister is confident enough in the youngster to give him run during real games. This could be a short-term placement, but if Gallo improves his average and contact skills even marginally, his prodigious power will make him an All-Star. His spring stats, taken with a grain of salt, showed improvement in average and in strikeout rate. We might be watching the ascension of Gallo as one of the game's premiere power bats.--Sean Scampton
Source: T.R. Sullivan - Twitter