Ready or not: Rangers rookie Carlos Tocci to help fill void in center field
Carlos Tocci looked up at the sky above center field in Globe Life Park and gasped.
"There are a few ballparks in the minors that are big in center field, but when I first stepped in this center field I looked in the sky and I thought, this is big," said Tocci, 22, who made his major league debut for the Rangers on Saturday.
Defense, however, isn't much of a worry for Tocci, who showed manager Jeff Banister more than enough in the outfield during spring to earn an Opening Day roster spot.
Tocci went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his debut and his bat is the clear area he needs to improve. With Delino DeShields' hand injury, Tocci is likely to get a quicker chance to get used to major league pitching.
"Of course I didn’t like the way it happened, but I’m ready for whatever they ask me to do," said Tocci, who is 6-foot-3 but only 175 pounds. "If I play more often, I think I’m ready for it. Since I was a little kid I was dreaming to be in the majors."
At only 22, Tocci was a little kid in Maracay, Venezuela not too long ago. He was signed by the Phillies at 16.
"I felt nervous and my heart was beating real, real hard," Tocci said of his first start. "After that I think I settled in."
Tocci, who was acquired from the Phillies in the Rule 5 Draft in December, is hoping the more he sees major league pitching the more comfortable he becomes at the plate.
"For a young guy like this, can he put together a professional at-bat, can he recognize game situations and be able to execute in certain situations," Banister said. The Rangers want to see Tocci, at least early on, execute what the game asks him to do at the plate, including bunts, moving runners over, drawing a walk and coming through with a sacrifice fly.
"He needs to be able to handle the bat well, put the ball in play, can he push it forward?" Banister said. "It was fun to watch him play [Saturday]. I can imagine what was in his stomach and his heart and mind. I’m pleased with the defensive side of it and he was unafraid, he went to the plate and swung the bat."
Tocci showed the Rangers great range and route running in spring training. It's a skill that if you're not paying close attention, Banister said, makes some of his defensive plays look easier than they are. He made a catch over his left shoulder in Saturday's game look routine.
"For any outfielder, especially a center fielder, if you’re not locked in on them and watching them all the time you don’t realize how quick off the ball they are and [how] their footwork is direct," he said. "They don’t have to deviate from their route very much."
Banister said Tocci would lose in a foot race with DeShields and some other center fielders, but makes up for it with excellent reads and quick jumps.
"His eye and the ball/bat relationship and how it comes off [the bat] … he has that ability to read it very well and be on his way very quickly," Banister said.
Colon starts Oakland opener
Bartolo Colon makes his first-career start for the Texas Rangers Monday night in the series opener against the Athletics in Oakland.
Colon has pitched with 11 teams, including two years for Oakland in 2012-13 when he compiled a 28-15 record with a 2.99 ERA over 342 2/3 innings.
At 44 (he turns 45 on May 24), there isn't a whole lot of coaching (or managing) Colon needs.
"I expect that he’s going to go out and throw strikes and have a veteran outing," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "Manage through the innings and give us an opportunity. He’s got a lot of practice at it. "
That's for sure. It will be Colon's 529th start, tied for 36th most all-time with Eddie Plank and Rick Reuschel. Among active players, either Colon or C.C. Sabathia lead in almost every pitching career category. He goes into Monday's start with 240 wins, 2,454 strikeouts and 3,315 1/3 innings. Colon declined to talk before Monday's start.
"I don’t know if there’s anybody pitching in the major leagues right now who has had more pitches thrown," Banister said. "He’s worked at a lot. He’s had to transform himself from being a power pitcher to more of a control pitcher."
The Rangers will have to make a move to add Colon to the roster before Monday's game. And then they'll have to decide what they want out of him going forward once Martin Perez returns from the disabled list. Perez is expected to start Thursday's finale at Oakland. Eventually, the Rangers want the rotation to be Cole Hamels, Doug Fister, Perez, Matt Moore, and Mike Minor, who pitched Sunday.
This story was originally published April 1, 2018 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Ready or not: Rangers rookie Carlos Tocci to help fill void in center field."