Rangers Rising Star Alejandro Osuna Shines in MLB Home Debut

ARLINGTON — Texas Rangers outfielder Alejandro Osuna’s first at-bat at Globe Life Field ended with a flyout in the third inning, thanks to a well-placed Kevin Gausman splitter.

Back in the outfield in the fourth inning, the rookie found himself second-guessing things just a bit. His mind raced. He wanted another shot.

In the fifth inning, he got another shot at the Toronto Blue Jays’ two-time All-Star, who was pitching a masterful game. Osuna got that splitter again, this time low and inside. This time, he was waiting on it and he lined it into center field for his first Major League hit.

Then, his mind calmed down.

“After that I was normal,” Osuna said with a smile after the Texas Rangers’ 2-1 loss.

Alejandro Osuna’s First Rangers Home Game

Texas’ offensive struggles continued. The Rangers had just five hits. But Osuna — who was called up on Sunday and was starting his second straight game — had two of them. He finished 2-for-3, and he did so in front of nearly 10 family and friends, including his twin brother.

He was able to talk with them briefly after the game and it seemed his family was more nervous about Osuna’s home debut than he was, saying his sister was the most nervous.

The 22-year-old, who is the Rangers’ No. 7 prospect per MLB Pipeline, appeared to show no nervousness during Monday’s game. He said that came from his time in Major League spring training. Working with players like Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien, who he pointed to as mentors while out in Surprise, Ariz., appeared to remove any of that tentativeness.

“When I got here, they told me, ‘Don’t change anything,” he said. “It’s a bigger stadium and there are more fans. But have fun. That’s the most important thing.”

Osuna batted ahead of Garcia and Semien in the order for the second straight game. He isn’t going to solve the offensive malaise that has gripped the Rangers the past two months. But perhaps he can provide some kind of spark, manager Bruce Bochy said.

“He looked comfortable (on Sunday),” Bochy said. “He got a walk, made a nice play in the outfield. Yeah, he didn’t seem nervous. Overall, I think it was a pretty good start.”

The international signee out of Mexico in 2020 broke out last year, as he was named the Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year.

With High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco, he finished with a combined slash line of .292/.362/.507/.869 with a career-high 18 home runs and 61 RBI. He also had 17 steals.

Among Texas minor-league players with at least 300 at-bats, he led in slugging percentage and OPS. He also showed improvement at the plate after his promotion to Frisco on June 28, as he slashed .306/.379/.523/.902 with nine home runs and 32 RBI.