Gallo says doing this in 2018 will help boost his bat, Rangers’ lineup

First in a series of spring training previews

Joey Gallo emerged as an impact player last season because he can hit a baseball as far as anyone in the game, but his total impact on the Texas Rangers came more into light this off-season.

Actually, it was visible during his first full major-league season as he hopped around the diamond — from third base as Adrian Beltre’s injury replacement to left field to first base. Those who thought of him as only a slugger were introduced to an all-around player.

But Gallo’s versatility has kept the Rangers’ options open this off-season when putting the finishing touches on their lineup. There were scenarios where he was the starting left fielder and scenarios where he was the starting first baseman.

That still hasn’t been determined with spring camp for positions players only three weeks away. Gallo, however, has focused on first base this off-season and said that playing there every day — or any one position — would help catapult his offense.

“It would be nice to play one position all year, unless something goes wrong and I need to play somewhere else for somebody,” Gallo said. “It is tough to kind of bounce around and be able to play all those positions and play every day. I think I’ll be able to be better offense offensively as well.”

Don’t get Gallo wrong: He will play wherever he is told to go by manager Jeff Banister.

“It’s positive for the team for sure to be able to bounce around,” Gallo said. “I don’t mind doing it.”

But judging by the questions surrounding the pitching staff, the better Gallo is on offense, the better of the Rangers will be. He started to spray the ball more in the second half last season, and the numbers reflected a more complete hitter who still has plenty of room to improve.

Knowing where he is playing each day would allow Gallo to focus on one spot defensively and give more time to working on the kinks in his swing.

“It is a little bit easier to be an everyday player at one position and focus on one position day in and day out,” said Gallo, who hit 41 homers, but batted only .209.

Banister, though, won’t pin Gallo to one position yet. The Rangers have multiple players who have time at first base, though none as good with the glove as Gallo, and Shin-Soo Choo will work there this spring to give him more versatility.

More moving parts gives a manager options for each game’s lineup and for in-game maneuvering. Gallo figures to be in the lineup regularly, assuming his bat remains productive, but the Rangers’ best team offensive and defensively for a particular game might call for him to play left field and have, say, Jurickson Profar, play first base.

“I probably helps him more being at first base,” Banister said. “But it doesn’t always work out that way.”

Profar and Ryan Rua have played first base for the Rangers in past seasons — so has Robinson Chirinos, but don’t count on it again — and Drew Robinson, Brett Nicholas and Ronald Guzman are others on the 40-man roster who have logged games at first in the minors.

Only Guzman is a regular first baseman, and with that his only position, his chances at making the Opening Day roster are minimized even though he is the reigning Rangers Minor League Player of the Year.

His best chance is if Gallo isn’t picked as the everyday first baseman. Gallo, though, is planning on being there in 2018.

This story was originally published January 30, 2018 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Gallo says doing this in 2018 will help boost his bat, Rangers’ lineup."