Slugger Adolis García sits again as Rangers look for him to make ‘mechanical changes' at plate
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Slumping Rangers slugger Adolis García was held out of Texas' lineup for the third consecutive day Sunday, with president of baseball operations Chris Young saying the club wants the 2023 ALCS MVP to make some mechanical changes.
'We need him to kind of commit to some of these changes that we think will get him back to the '23 version of himself and help him be the player that we know he can be,' Young said before Texas' series finale against St. Louis.
García is hitting .155 in the last 20 games with 25 strikeouts. He is hitting .207 overall, with seven homers and a team-high 27 RBIs on a team that has struggled offensively. He ranked 14th in the majors with 122 home runs over the past four seasons.
García, who has started 55 of Texas' 60 games in right field this season, missed only one other game before this weekend, with manager Bruce Bochy saying Friday that García was being given a mental break.
'It's about the mental reset and coming back with more energy,' García told reporters Saturday. 'I'm working on some stuff without the pressure of having to do something up there.'
García, 32, is in the final year of a two-year contract.
The anticipated return of Evan Carter to the active roster on Tuesday, joining Wyatt Langford, Alejandro Osuna and Sam Haggerty, further crowds the field of Rangers outfield regulars as García tries to return to the lineup.
'It's going to be performance-driven at this point,' Young said.
Texas also made three roster moves before Sunday's game. Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (triceps fatigue) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to last Thursday to allow him to start late this week, catcher Tucker Barnhart was designated for assignment and right-hander Codi Heuer was selected from Triple-A Round Rock.
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Ron Washington got another chance to manage in the big leagues, and he's determined to make the most of it
Washington walked into Fenway Park on Wednesday afternoon going for a sweep against the Red Sox, but was denied in Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The Angels lost 99 games in Washington's first season in 2024, with three-time MVP Mike Trout limited to 29 games because of injuries. Trout already has missed 26 games this season with knee issues, but Washington has the Angels more competitive, more consistent, and playing more of his style. Advertisement But the clock is ticking. The Angels didn't hire a 71-year-old manager to foster a rebuild. And Washington plans to capitalize on his second chance after falling short in Texas a decade ago. Washington led the Rangers to two World Series appearances but resigned under controversy because of an extramarital affair. Advertisement But he remained relevant, got back into coaching, back to his expertise working with infielders, and then built up his résumé again after successful seasons as third base coach with the Braves. He wanted another chance in an industry that doesn't offer Black managers many do-overs. 'I know I can manage. I know I can lead guys,' he said. 'I know I can help an organization get where they want to get because I've been a leader all my life. I just wanted the opportunity to manage again. I wanted to be in Atlanta for the rest of my life, but if a managing job comes up, I don't care where it's at, that the only way I would leave.' Starting over after losing his dream job wasn't easy, but it was necessary because Washington loves the game so much. His pride did not block his humility. 'I wasn't embarrassed to go back to the third base coaching box,' he said. 'I wasn't embarrassed to get back on [the field] and help these kids get better. I wasn't embarrassed to give to the game that gave to me. I wasn't embarrassed about none of that. I just loved the game.' Washington's passion for the game is infectious. His pregame media session Wednesday was similar to a sermon, with Washington offering his baseball gospel, drawing in listeners with his words, convincing players that the fundamental way, a way that endures generations, is the right way. 'I've been loyal to the game and because I've been loyal to the game, it's been loyal to me,' said Washington, who played 10 major league seasons as an infielder. 'I still have my passion because there's so much youth in the game today and they need guys like me. We are a dying breed. I'm not talking about the managing part of it. I'm talking about trying to get them to understand how the game is played, how you come out here every day and give your best, how you become a great teammate. Advertisement 'All of that stuff is part of baseball, but the glamour stuff has taken over. Back in the day, if you hit a home run and you do what these kids do today [to celebrate], you'd get one in the neck. And everybody in baseball knows it was going to happen.' Getting one in the neck doesn't sound like a pleasurable experience, but when it comes out of Washington's mouth, it's hilarious. His Louisiana drawl and brutal honesty have made him a coaching mainstay for 30 years, since the days he was tutoring Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada in Oakland. Washington's rise to the managerial ranks was unlikely because he doesn't carry that big name. He worked feverishly at his craft, molding infielders, serving as a sage, mentor, and life coach, telling youngsters how it is because he cared, knowing they may not digest his advice smoothly. That was then. This is now, when younger players ask why, where the 20-year-old fresh from Double A gives Washington his unsolicited opinion on how he can flourish in the big leagues. Washington may giggle at their suggestions, but he respects their voices. That respect is what has kept him relevant in the game. Advertisement 'Those kids got passion for the game, too,' Washington said. 'Because they've got passion for the game, it's easy for me to express my passion. They want to be good. They want to win. But we don't know how to win yet. I've got four or five guys that we depend on every day that's in their second full year at the major league level. You can't take days off, even if you're not feeling very well. 'You're 20 years old, how much baseball do you know? How much experience have you got at 19? But they like to talk back. So I don't stop them from expressing that.' Having an open ear, respecting players young enough to be his grandchildren, and showing them a different and more refined way is how Washington maintains his staying power. 'It's simple, I'm going to leave the game of baseball when Ron Washington is ready,' he said. 'Think I'm going to let some 20- or 19- or 22-year-old run me out of the game of baseball? What I do, I'll adjust. I'm not going to change who I am. When I feel like I can do that, then I'll go home. When I get tired, I'm going home. Right now, I'm sharp as a tack.' Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
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But the reality is that blue-chip recruits (four- and five-stars) still dominate the draft. Ward is the anomaly. In the last five years, only seven players who were not ranked at all in the 247Sports Composite (4.3 percent) were among the 160 players taken in the first round of the draft. An overwhelming majority (80.1 percent) of the players drafted overall (not just in the first round) were ranked as three-stars or better. On average, there are roughly 32 five-star recruits and somewhere between 300 to 400 four-stars among the thousands of high school prospects per cycle. In the recent five-year draft window, 65 percent of the first-round picks (104 of 160) and 52 percent of the players taken in the first three rounds (267 of 514) were blue-chip recruits coming out of high school. Texas, Florida, Georgia and California have long been considered the biggest hotbeds for football talent, and nothing has changed. Those four states continue to be the biggest producers of NFL players, with Georgia (20) taking a small lead over Texas (19) for first-round selections. Here's a look at the top 10 NFL talent producers over the last five years by state, including how many of those total selections were blue-chip recruits. One outside factor you have to consider when looking at all data is how the COVID-19 pandemic affected recruiting and draft results. The NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to all players who participated in the 2020 season. That certainly didn't stop the best players in college football from making a quick exit for the draft if they could. Nearly one in five draft picks over the last five years still made the jump to the pros after only three seasons in school. Here's a look at where players were drafted by the amount of time they spent in college. Playing for a Power 4 program — there are currently 69 — still gives a player the best odds of getting drafted. Just under 84 percent of the NFL Draft picks over the last five years played their last college game for a school that was in a Power 4 league (or Notre Dame) at the time. The transfer portal has affected those numbers, with many of the Power 4 players drafted having started their careers at a lower level. In all, nearly a quarter of the players drafted over the last five years (26.4 percent) signed with a junior college, FCS, Division II or Group of 5 program out of high school. Advertisement The reality, however, is that three-fourths of the players taken in the draft over the last five years played for only one college program. That number, however, is decreasing as the number of transfers increases every year. Of the 257 players selected in this year's draft, 96 transferred at least once. That's 37 percent. In 2021, only 10 percent of the draft picks (27 of the 259) were transfers. Only two first-round picks in both 2021 and 2022 were transfers — quarterback Justin Fields and edge rusher Jaelen Phillips in 2021 and receiver Jameson Williams and guard Zion Johnson in 2022. That number jumped to five in 2023, peaked at nine in 2024 and dipped to seven this year. It shouldn't surprise anyone that the top 50 programs in terms of producing NFL Draft picks over the last five years reside in Power 4 conferences. It also shouldn't come as a surprise that the four programs that won national titles over the last five years top that list. The last five drafts include players from the 2015 through the 2022 recruiting cycles. Only one of the top 15 programs in terms of producing NFL talent over the last five years ranked outside of the top 25 when it came to average recruiting class rankings: South Carolina, which still ranked in the top 30. What's far more impressive from a development standpoint are the Power 4 programs that ranked outside of the top 40 in recruiting rankings yet produced NFL talent at a top-40 level. The Pitt Panthers top the list among those schools with 20 draft picks over the last five years, including two first-rounders — second most in the ACC behind Clemson (22). Of those 20 picks, only three were transfers, and among the 17 homegrown talents, only one was a blue-chip recruit coming out of high school (safety Damar Hamlin). Advertisement Before he left for Wisconsin in November 2022, Luke Fickel did an equally impressive job stocking the shelves with NFL talent at Cincinnati — and did so before the program joined a Power 4 conference. The Bearcats have had 18 players drafted over the last five years. Four were transfers, including the only three blue-chippers to get drafted from Cincinnati. The rest were rated three-stars or lower, including top-five pick Sauce Gardner, who was the No. 1,605 prospect in the 2019 cycle. Kansas State, Iowa State, Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota all ranked in the top 40 of NFL talent producers with 13 picks each despite ranking outside of the top 50 in the recruiting rankings. These are the top non-Power 4 talent producers over the last five years. (Oregon State and Washington State are not on this list since they were both P4 programs during the recruiting cycles. Neither are BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF since they are now in a P4 league.) Schools love to claim they're the best at producing talent by position. We've gone ahead and done the homework to end the argument, at least for recent history. Quarterback: Alabama, Florida and Ohio State all have the right to call themselves the best at producing pro talent at the moment, with three draft picks each at the position over the last five years. We'd give the slight edge to the Buckeyes, considering Fields and C.J. Stroud were first-rounders and Stroud is an entrenched NFL starter. Running back: Michigan and Texas lead the way with five draft picks each over the last five years, with Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina not far behind with four each. You could make the argument that Pro Bowler Bijan Robinson gives Texas the edge with how he's performed early in his pro career. Receiver: Ohio State has produced five first-round picks at the position over the last five years, including top-10 picks in Marvin Harrison and Garrett Wilson. And Jeremiah Smith could be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft. But don't forget about LSU. The Tigers have had six receivers taken in the last five years and have stars Ja'Marr Chase, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. doing damage in the league now. Advertisement Tight end: Nobody has produced more draft picks in the last five years at tight end than Penn State with four, and that includes 2025 first-rounder Tyler Warren. But it's hard to ignore the impact of Georgia's Brock Bowers, and the Bulldogs are one of a handful of programs (Miami, Michigan and Ohio State are the others) to have three tight ends drafted since 2021. Offensive line: Georgia leads with 11 picks, but only two were first-rounders. Ohio State is next with nine, including three first-rounders. LSU and Michigan have produced eight, with Will Campbell representing the Tigers in Round 1. No O-linemen from Michigan, meanwhile, have been drafted in the first two rounds. Defensive line: Georgia has had 11 defensive linemen drafted since 2021, including seven first-rounders. LSU, with 10, ranks second, but none of the Tigers have gone in the first round. Alabama, Michigan and Ohio State are next with nine picks each, with the Wolverines boasting five first-rounders — most notably Aidan Hutchinson. Linebackers: Only nine players classified as linebackers have been taken in the first round in the last five years, and Penn State's Micah Parsons is one of them. Georgia's Quay Walker is another and is among the six from the Bulldogs. Clemson, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Washington and Penn State are next, each with four linebackers drafted. Defensive backs: Why has Georgia been so good? Probably because it keeps producing the most NFL talent at every defensive position. The Bulldogs have had 13 defensive backs picked, including three first-rounders in Lewis Cline, Malaki Starks and Eric Stokes. Alabama is next with nine, followed by Penn State with eight. Recruiting sites do a fine job of highlighting the coaches who sign the most high-end prospects, but how much does this really tell us? You mean an assistant coach at Georgia is good at signing top talent? Shocking! Here are a few recruiters who have done good work at some programs that don't sign top-10 classes on a consistent basis — and we acknowledge that this can be a bit cloudy considering not every prospect has a clearly defined lead recruiter. Advertisement Fresno State head coach Matt Entz: The two-time FCS Coach of the Year had three players from his North Dakota State teams drafted in the last few years, including 2025 first-round pick Grey Zabel and second-rounders Dillon Radunz and Cody Mauch. All three players were either two-star or unranked recruits. Idaho defensive coordinator Cort Dennison: The former Louisville and Oregon assistant did a fine job plucking quality three-star recruits out of the Southeast, including quarterback Jordan Travis, receiver Tutu Atwell and defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus. Five of his former three-stars were drafted over the last five years. Kentucky tight ends coach Vince Marrow: The longtime assistant has been the lead recruiter for five Kentucky players who have been drafted in the last five years. Washington defensive coordinator Ryan Walters: In his time at Missouri, Walters was the lead recruiter for six players who were eventually drafted. All of them were three-star recruits, and four ranked in the 1,000s. West Virginia special teams coach Chris Haering: The former longtime Wisconsin assistant recruited six Badgers who were drafted, including Super Bowl-winning linebacker Leo Chenal. (Photo of Bo Nix: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Martin hired as Rangers manager and handed a big task: Regain the Scottish title from Celtic
Associated Press Six months after being fired by Southampton, Russell Martin crossed the border to take over as manager of Scottish giant Rangers on Thursday and tasked with regaining the league title from fierce Glasgow rival Celtic. Martin guided Southampton to promotion to the Premier League last year but left in December following one win from the team's first 16 games. The 39-year-old Martin has secured a quick return to management at Rangers, going back to a club where he spent a half season on loan in 2018. 'From my time here, I had a taste of how special this club is, the expectation, the passion and the history,' Martin said. 'Now, as I return, I'm determined to bring success back, for the supporters, the players, and everyone inside this club. There's a lot to be done, but the goal is clear: win matches, win trophies and give Rangers fans a team that they can be proud of.' Rangers finished last season under the caretaker management of its former captain, Barry Ferguson, after firing Frenchman Philippe Clement in February. Appointing Martin — an Englishman who played international soccer for Scotland — is the latest big move by Rangers after a U.S.-based consortium, which includes an investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers, purchased a majority ownership stake in the club. Health insurance entrepreneur Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises led a consortium of investors to have bought a 51% stake. A new sporting director, Kevin Thelwell, officially began work at Rangers on Monday. Celtic's stranglehold on Scottish soccer has just continued with a 13th Premiership title in 14 seasons. Rangers won the only other title in that period, under Steven Gerrard in the 2020-21 season. Rangers and Celtic now have 55 Scottish league titles each. ___ AP soccer: recommended in this topic
