Carter doesn't have a house, but he's making a home for himself with Rangers

ARLINGTON -- When Evan Carter heads to Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, he’ll walk to the ballpark.

The 21-year-old Rangers rookie stealing the show this postseason has lived in a hotel across the street from Globe Life Field ever since his big league callup on Sept. 8.

“Especially in the regular season and postseason, we’re just bouncing back and forth,” Carter said. “So I’ve just been in the hotel.”

Carter is used to it by now. His rapid rise from second-round Draft pick to top prospect has meant living out of a suitcase on the road from one place to another, even before he made it to the Majors.

The outfielder was called up to Triple-A Round Rock on Aug. 29 -- his 21st birthday -- right after finishing a week-long road trip in Amarillo, Texas. He received the gift of two more weeks on the road in Oklahoma City and El Paso.

Carter never even played in the Express’ home stadium in Round Rock, Texas, before Adolis García’s right patellar tendon strain prompted his promotion to the big leagues.

“Gosh, I've been on the road, living out of the hotel since August 22nd,” Carter said. “I do not have a house. I don't even know where I'm going to live this offseason. We're just kind of going with the flow right now.”

So when the Rangers embarked on a grueling, 16-day road trip through the end of the regular season and first two playoff series, Carter was as prepared as any veteran on the club. He said packing light has been key for him and his wife.

“We have spent a fortune on DoorDash,” Carter said. “But gosh, it’s been fun. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

The club’s veterans, like fellow outfielder Travis Jankowski, have offered their homes -- “I don’t want to barge in,” Carter said -- as well as some advice from their careers, in which extended road travel is a reality of the job. Starter Jordan Montgomery has also been living in a hotel since his midseason trade to Texas given that he’ll be a free agent this offseason.

“For a while, I had two suitcases,” Montgomery said. “It was miserable. But then I consolidated into one.”

Carter has done laundry at Jankowski’s place. The veteran stressed the importance of sleeping and waking up at the same time every day no matter what. Fellow left fielder Robbie Grossman, who has split time with Carter this postseason, recommended places to stay and to grab a bite to eat.

As far as DoorDash goes? Utility man Josh H. Smith recommends an air fryer for hotel cooking.

Little tips and tricks aside, everybody is in agreement that Carter has handled the whirlwind of the past few weeks well.

“He carries himself like a veteran,” Montgomery said. “To see him rise to the occasion in the postseason has been special.”

“Even more so, he’s a great person,” Grossman added. “The fans don’t get to see him off the field, but he’s just a quality human being.”

The results on the field speak for themselves. The clubhouse jokingly nicknamed Carter “our little savior” after his massive Wild Card Series. He swung Game 1 of the American League Championship Series with an impressive catch. And he has reached base in each of his 12 games played and recorded a hit in 11, good for a .987 OPS.

Manager Bruce Bochy responded to Carter’s breakout postseason -- one of the best by a rookie ever -- by moving him up into the No. 3 spot in the lineup in the ALCS. That’s where Carter will likely start in the World Series as one of the Rangers’ most important bats.

All while still staying in a hotel across the street.

“I think he’s been playing good enough that he can lock down an apartment for a couple years here now,” Grossman said.