Rangers: Mitch Moreland Worth Adding for Power?
By Bill Pivetz
The Rangers lost slugger Prince Fielder for the season. As a result, Mitch Moreland took over at first base and has been on a recent power surge.
The Texas Rangers were very busy at the trade deadline, adding two big bats for the lineup. The team lost their first baseman Prince Fielder to a neck injury, so they needed some fill ins. There is someone who was already on the Rangers roster that has stepped up and his name is Mitch Moreland. Now that he’s getting more playing time, his bat is heating up. Should you add him to your team?
Moreland has been a pretty good hitter throughout his career. He has a career-high 23 home runs (twice) and 85 RBI with a .278 average. While those numbers can’t compare to the numbers the superstar players put up. However, for a 23rd round pick, you could do a lot worse.
This season did not get off to the best start. At the end of May, he was hitting .217 with six home runs and 21 RBI and a 48:14 K:BB ratio.
The summer has provided Moreland and his owners with a better performance. Since June 1, he is hitting .288 with 12 homers, 25 RBI and a 33:10 K:BB ratio. He has five home runs in his last nine games played.
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He has been getting more playing time since the Rangers lost Fielder. As a result of his recent surge, Moreland has been added in 22.4 percent of ESPN leagues over the last week. He did get an off day on Thursday after starting six games in a row.
With about two months left of the season, Moreland is on pace to post a new career high in home runs. He isn’t known for being a batting average or on-base percentage guy, so take that into account when adding him.
If he can remain healthy and continue this hot streak, then Moreland will be a valuable piece in your fantasy lineup heading into the playoffs. Health may be the biggest concern for Moreland. He played in 132 games last season and 52 the season before.
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Even with the rise in his fantasy ownership, Moreland is still owned in just 29.1 percent of leagues. If you are looking for someone to give you a boost in power numbers, he is your guy. The addition of Carlos Beltran and Jonathan Lucroy should give the Rangers and Moreland more opportunities to score and drive in runs.