On a talent-studded team like the Texas Rangers, it might be hard to make an impact as a rookie.
Tell that to outfielder Evan Carter.
Since he was called up in early September, Carter has been nothing short of terrific, stepping into the outfield and hitting in an already-stacked lineup — he hit .306 with five dingers and a trio of steals in 23 games. In the postseason, he’s continued to be super valuable both at the plate — he hit a home run in Game 2 of the Wild Card series against the Tampa Bay Rays — and in the field (his catch in Game 1 of the 2023 ALCS was so impressive).
Get to know a few facts as you watch him play in the 2023 postseason:
1
He was drafted 50th overall in 2020
The Tennessee native was a surprise pick that year, a relative unknown among experts who has paid off and then some.
2
There's a Rangers connection to his dad
[Danny] Clark coached in high school and college before joining the Rangers as a Minor League pitching coach in 2006. He became Texas’ pitching coordinator in 2009 and held that position until shifting into a staff-development role this year. He continues to live in Elizabethton, as does Jason Carter, who’s now an assistant principal and athletic director at local Dugger Junior High.
“Because of Evan’s love for the game, Jason would text me periodically and tell me he thought Evan was pretty good,” Clark says. “Around his freshman year, he said he thought he might be something. I asked if he could run because Jason was an elite runner, and he said Evan was faster.
3
He rose up to be one of the top prospects in all of baseball
MLB.com had him at No. 8 overall in 2023, and The Athletic had him at No. 10 this summer
