SURPRISE, Ariz. — One year ago, under the previous Texas Rangers administration, outfielder Alejandro Osuna performed so well in Cactus League play that former manager Bruce Bochy raved and declared that “he’s going to play in the major leagues” despite his inexperience at the advanced levels of the minors.
Osuna, who’d only played 57 games above Single-A before last season, debuted with the Rangers nearly three months to the day of Bochy’s initial proclamation.
This is not an Osuna story. This is a Cam Cauley story, though the more the latter is told, the more it’s begun to to resemble the former. Cauley, a 23-year-old infielder and former third-round draft choice, has parlayed a big league camp invite into a showcase of abilities that’s caught the attention of a first-year manager who was once in his shoes.
“He is opening eyes in camp because he’s been doing the best with the opportunity he’s been given,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “That’s what this game is all about.”
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Cauley’s game is largely predicated on his speed and defensive versatility, but last season, his fifth with the organization, he took significant offensive strides and slashed .253/.325/.448 with 15 home runs and 28 stolen bases at Double-A Frisco. He added 15 pounds of weight this winter, was left off of the club’s 40-man roster and went unselected in the Rule 5 draft, but he has now been one of the team’s most productive hitters through a week-plus of Cactus League games.
The Mont Belvieu native has slashed .316/.350/.526 through eight games with a league-best four doubles. He’s hit 18 balls into play at an average exit velocity of 95.6 mph (which would’ve ranked second-best in the big leagues last season) and totaled 13 hard hits (balls batted 95 mph or harder). On Sunday, against the Seattle Mariners at the Peoria Sports Complex, he hit a 112.9 mph home run off of All-Star right-handed starter Logan Gilbert in his first at-bat. In the sixth inning, against right-hander Jimmy Kingsbury, he hit a 98.1 mph single and scored from first base on an Aaron Zavala single.
“You’re with the best of the best,” Cauley said. “It’s bend or break. You come in and expect excellence. There’s no other option. I want to succeed every time I’m out here. I’m in front of a lot of fans, the manager of the Rangers and the coaching staff, so it’s like, I just try to play my best.”
The manager — who’s already drawn comparisons between his big league career and those of infielders Josh Smith and Cody Freeman — can also relate to Cauley’s circumstances. Schumaker had a breakout offensive year in 2004 when he slashed .316/.389/.419 in 138 games with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies and his .350 in 103 at bats in the Venezuelan Winter League. He was eligible for that winter’s Rule 5 draft because the Cardinals didn’t add him to the 40-man roster after his first four years in the organization.
“It wasn’t easy to swallow because I had a good year,” Schumaker said. “I went out and crushed it in Venezuela. I still wasn’t protected, and nobody picked me up. I was like, ‘oh my gosh.’”
He started the next season at Triple-A Memphis, but by June, the Cardinals promoted him to the major leagues.
“You can totally see this happening to Cam,” Schumaker said, “because he’s going to will himself into the big leagues and be a big leaguer for a long time.”
Cauley is an infielder by trade but played a quality center field last season for the RoughRiders with top prospect Sebastian Walcott at shortstop. He likened the position to football, specifically his wide receiver days at Barbers Hill, and said that it gives him “more versatility and more ways to get into the lineup.” The Rangers may lose some flexibility if Smith becomes the every day second baseman, and the group of Osuna, Freeman, Ezequiel Duran, Michael Helman and Tyler Wade may currently be ahead of Cauley on the bench depth chart.
His ability to play multiple positions well — and the further development of his offensive profile — represent Cauley’s quickest ticket to the big leagues. He lowered his strikeout rate by nearly 5% last season but still struck out in nearly a quarter of his at-bats and will need to prove he can handle advanced fastballs to remain on the major league radar in the immediate future.
“He’s got the mentality that he’s going to prove people wrong,” Schumaker said. “I hope he does. I hope he proves me right.”
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