Will these young Rangers make OD roster?

This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Rangers are wrapping up their most anticipated Spring Training in years, finishing up Cactus League play on Saturday before two exhibitions against Kansas City at Globe Life Field.

The few position battles have been decided, the rotation got throughout camp mostly healthy and the core pieces of the lineup have been hitting consistently. It’s the most comfortable Texas has felt going into an Opening Day in recent memory.

The final roster isn’t set yet, but here are three second-year players who fought this spring to earn a place on the Opening Day roster.

INF Ezequiel Duran
Duran’s path to making the Opening Day roster opened when the club DFA’d Mark Mathias earlier this month. He’s younger with a similar skill set, but it was nowhere near a definite for him to break camp with the big league club. He’s done everything in his power to make sure it will be.

Duran has slashed .352/.375/.704 (1.079 OPS) in 24 Cactus League games, jumping around the diamond at second base, shortstop, third base and multiple outfield positions. With Corey Seager and Marcus Semien holding down the middle of the infield for the foreseeable future, Duran’s value comes with his bat and his defensive versatility. He’s shown both in camp.

The Rangers will have to decide if the 23-year-old needs more outfield reps at Triple-A Round Rock to start the season, or if his bat is too valuable to keep out of the big leagues. It’s leaning towards the latter.

“You have to be concerned with [getting him at-bats in the big leagues],” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He's very talented. You've seen it this spring, where the ball jumps off his bat and his versatility. But you're also thinking about a young guy, his adjustment to not being out there every day. So all these things that were being talked about with our young guys on the bench.”

UTL Josh Smith
Like Duran, Smith’s path to the big leagues at his natural position of shortstop is blocked by Seager, but he’s earning a bench role with the club this spring regardless. Smith had a roller-coaster rookie season last year, but the Rangers staff likes him in a super-utility role. In Cactus League play, he's appeared at second, third, short, center and left and is able to play all at an average to above-average level, and likely better than Duran.

He’s hit .359/.457 /.462 (.919 OPS) through 16 games this spring, a vast improvement over his .197 average in 73 MLB games last season.

“Right now I feel pretty comfortable,” Smith said of his versatility and adjustment to the outfield. “I don't know, I guess just as a natural shortstop, I’m just trying to be an athlete and kind of let my actions take over … I definitely think the reads are easier in left. Obviously, you have a lot more ground to cover, but the spin isn't as tricky as it is in right. I think honestly I’m getting comfortable. Wherever they need me, I'll try to be ready for it.”

LHP Cole Ragans
Ragans, the second-year lefty, should earn a spot in the bullpen with his uptick in velocity. He’s struggled through his past two appearances this spring -- including eight runs in his past seven innings of work -- but Ragans has no doubt been one of Texas’ best performers on the pitching side throughout camp. He allowed just one run through his first three appearances, before the late speedbumps.

The eighth or ninth pitcher down the rotation depth chart, Ragans runs into the same problem as Duran on the pitching side: Is it better to use him as a reliever in the big leagues or send him down to get stretched out in Triple-A?

“You’ve got to break camp with your best guys,” Bochy said.

Spring Training results are always taken with a grain of salt, but what Ragans has been able to do hasn’t gone unnoticed.