Frank Catalanotto and Gerald Laird have been the most disappointing players to the Rangers this season.  Laird was given the starting catcher job and he hasn’t rewarded their faith in him.  Laird is only hitting .230 with 26 runs scored, 5 homers and 27 RBIs so far this season.  It would be different if Laird had done a good job of working with the pitching staff but that hasn’t been the case this season.  Frank Catalanotto has had a career based on his high average bat but he hasn’t been hitting that well this season.  Catalanotto is only hitting .230 with 26 runs scored, 6 homers and 22 RBIs this season.  Look for Catalanotto to rebound in the 2nd half of the season with the bat.

Frank Catalanotto has been awful so far this season for the Rangers.  He missed a little bit of time due to injury but that’s no excuse for a career .293 hitter to be hitting as poorly as he is right now.  In 36 games this season, Catalanotto is 21 for 114 (.184 avg, .539 OPS) with 17 runs scored, 4 homers and 16 RBIs.  Look for Catalanotto to get hot soon because he’s too good of a hitter to keep hitting like he has been.

Sammy Sosa has not swung the bat well as of late.  In his last 5 games, Sosa is only 4 for 24 (.167 avg, .500 OPS) with 2 runs scored, 1 homer, 5 RBIs and 9 whiffs.  Sosa better get his act back together soon because the Rangers are getting some hitters back and they could cut into Sosa’s playing time, because if he’s not hitting….he’s not helping the Rangers.

Shortstop Michael Young and catcher Gerald Laird are both off to terrible starts to the 2007 season.  Michael Young has played in 19 games this season and he’s only 13 for 79 (.165, .456 OPS) with 8 runs scored, 2 homers and 13 RBIs.  Both of Young’s homers came in the same game and he’s not really hitting the ball hard.  He says that he will get things straightened out as he proclaims to be doing the same things he did last year.  The Rangers need him to get going soon because he’s hurting the lineup so far this season.  Gerald Laird was given the starting job when the Rangers let Rod Barajas walk as a free-agent in the off-season and he’s Laird is proving that to be a big mistake so far this season.  In 16 games this year, Laird is 5 for 51 (.098 avg, .327 OPS) with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs.  The Rangers might have to make a trade if Laird doesn’t swing the bat better soon because the Rangers are weak at the catcher spot in their organization.

The Rangers showed a lot of faith in Gerald Laird when they let Rod Barajas walk away as a free agent and he’s letting them down so far this season.  He’s played in 12 games so far this season and he’s only hitting .132 with a .393 OPS!  He’s only 5 for 38 on the season with only 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs.  The Rangers need Laird to pick it up with the bat because they don’t really have a fallback plan in the organization right now.