As 2018 turned into a rebuilding season for the Texas Rangers, officially becoming so after the June draft, Isiah Kiner-Falefa turned into a catcher.
He had been one in the minors, albeit briefly while transitioning from the infield. When he made his MLB debut last season, he did so as an infielder and didn’t catch over his first two months.
As spring training nears, with pitchers and catchers reporting Wednesday, Kiner-Falefa looks like the Rangers’ catcher of the future. Or at least one of them.
Defensive-minded veteran Jeff Mathis will handle the primary catching load this season and is also under contract for 2020, but Kiner-Falefa will see less and less time taking grounders and more and more time behind the plate.