Think of your favorite sports team; now, think about your favorite player on that team. Are they the face of the franchise? Are they good role models on and off the field? If your favorite team was the Texas Rangers, then chances are the player you thought of was Adrian Beltre.
Beltre’s teammates and coaches are constantly singing his praises for the player he is on and off the field. The 37-year-old third baseman has a leadership quality about him that can ignite a fire inside both veterans, and newcomers, to the Rangers clubhouse.
Beltre is the definition of a grinder. The former All-Star is the type of player that has a daily routine and work ethic so specific and geared for success, that the rest of the Rangers have followed suit.
Well, the Texas Rangers are now 10 games ahead of the second place Houston Astros in the AL West; dominating the league with a record of 50-27.
Coincidence? I think not.
Beltre is the ringleader behind all of the Rangers success during the 2016 season. He is currently batting .280 at the plate, with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs. The workhorse also just moved up a notch in the all-time RBI leader category, passing the great Mickey Mantle. Additionally, Beltre leads the American League in fielding percentage with an impressive .990; only committing two errors all year long.
This type of play and leadership is something the entire team feeds off of. There are currently 6 players on the Rangers roster batting over .280, while Ian Desmond and Jurickson Profar are both batting over .300.
However, when you look at the Rangers lineup; the only player that might create some level of intimidation is Prince Fielder. Other than that, the Rangers don’t scare the pitchers of the American League just on shear size.
Where the intimidation factor comes in, is their ability to get the job done in the clutch. Jeff Banister’s club is 17-5 in one-run games, which is a direct result of the thing Beltre preaches; timely hitting.
The proof is in the stats, Beltre’s leadership is rubbing off on the rest of the team. With him in the lineup, there’s no telling how far the Texas Rangers can go this coming postseason.
With 12 games left until the All-Star break, Beltre and the Rangers are as hot as anybody in the league right now. Look out MLB, the defending AL West champs are for real.
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