Leody Taveras Has Speed To Spare
4 years agoTexas Rangers rookie outfielder Leody Taveras has elite speed. He ranks fifth on the sprint-speed leaderboard in the early going in 2021 with a sprint speed of 29.4 feet per second. He's only one spot below Byron Buxton on that list and is tied with him on runs that exceed the elite level of 30 feet per second with five each. Taveras entered the season with a 70 grade on his run tool, per MLB Pipeline. He also has a great arm, and the combination of his speed and great defense is what made him a borderline top-100 prospect. Taveras made a throw from center field on Opening Day that measured 97.3 mph, the third-hardest throw by an outfielder in 2021. If he can ever get the bat working -- he's slashing .111/.158/.111 -- the 22-year-old could be very dangerous. He does have two stolen bases, but he's struck out 16 times with just one walk to begin the season.
Source: MLB.com - Sam Dykstra
Source: MLB.com - Sam Dykstra
Leody Taveras, Rangers Avoid Arbitration
3 months agoOutfielder Leody Taveras and the Texas Rangers avoided salary arbitration on Thursday by settling on a one-year, $4.75 million deal. Taveras had a pretty disappointing 2024 campaign in his fifth year with the Rangers, slashing .229/.289/.352 with a below-average .641 OPS, 12 home runs, 44 RBI and 59 runs scored in a career-high 151 games, but he did manage a career-best 23 stolen bases. The 26-year-old switch-hitting Dominican outfielder also reached double-digit home runs for the second straight season, but Taveras could face more competition for everyday playing time and is in danger of becoming Texas' fourth outfielder unless he improves more offensively in 2025. Helping his cause is that he's solid defensively and can run. The health of Evan Carter could have a big impact on how much playing time Taveras sees next season.
Source: New York Post - Jon Heyman
Source: New York Post - Jon Heyman
Leody Taveras On The Bench Again On Wednesday
8 months agoTexas Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras is on the bench again on Wednesday against the visiting division-rival Houston Astros. It will be the second straight game that Taveras will open the game riding the pine. Rookie Wyatt Langford is starting in center field and is batting fifth, while Josh Smith is playing left field and batting leadoff for the Rangers against Astros left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. The 25-year-old Taveras has displayed some modest power/speed numbers this year with nine home runs and 12 stolen bases in 107 games played, but he's batting just .227 (78-for-344) with a career-low .647 OPS in his fifth year in Texas. Since the All-Star break, the switch-hitting outfielder has hit .214 (9-for-42) with three home runs, a double, a triple, seven RBI, a stolen base and 10 strikeouts in 16 games played.
Source: Texas Rangers PR
Source: Texas Rangers PR
Leody Taveras Homers Wednesday
10 months agoTexas Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras provided the game-winning hit in a 5-3 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday. Taveras pinch-hit for Robbie Grossman in the seventh inning and wound up launching a two-run homer to break a 3-3 tie. The blast off New York reliever Drew Smith traveled 405 feet and had an exit velocity of 107.8 MPH. Taveras has struggled in 2024, hitting just .213 with five homers, 28 runs, 15 RBI, and six steals across 235 at-bats. Fantasy gamers holding out hope for Taveras might feel some optimism after Wednesday's performance, but it is worth noting the 25-year-old is hitting just .085 over his past 15 games.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Leody Taveras Continues Strong May
11 months agoTexas Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run scored, and a stolen base in Saturday's 8-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies. He took Jake Bird deep in the seventh inning to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead. His home run traveled 389 feet with an exit velocity of 98.7 mph. It was his Taveras's third long ball of the season. The 25-year-old has been swinging a hot bat in May, hitting .333 (12-for-36) with two home runs, six RBI, 12 runs, and two stolen bases over 10 games. Overall, Taveras is slashing .256/.329/.395 with three home runs, 10 RBI, 20 runs, and four stolen bases over 38 games in 2024. Fantasy managers can use Taveras as a streamer in most leagues while he's wielding a hot bat.
Source: MLB
Source: MLB
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