ARLINGTON -- Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor left his teammates in awe after his performance on Opening Day at Globe Life Park.
"Nothing he does surprises me," outfielder Carlos Gomez said after watching Odor hit home runs in his first two at-bats in the Rangers' 8-5 loss to the Indians on Monday. "He is getting better every single day. I expect him to have a huge season."
There is no telling what Odor thought of his night. He did not appear in the clubhouse afterward while relievers Matt Bush and Sam Dyson were answering questions about how the Rangers let this one get away.
But Odor joined some pretty impressive company with his two-homer performance against Indians starter Corey Kluber. For starters, he is the first player to hit home runs in his first two at-bats of the season since Bryce Harper did it for the Nationals in 2013.
"First night out, pretty impressive," manager Jeff Banister said. "What was most impressive was the swing ... very controlled. I don't think we have to worry about Rougie. He is turning into a star player before our own eyes."
Odor hit a solo home run in the first and a three-run shot in the third. The first one traveled an estimated 390 feet to right-center, the second went a projected 417 feet to center.
Odor led the Rangers in home runs in 2016, with 33. The last time a Rangers player hit two home runs in the season opener was April 3, 2000, when Ivan Rodriguez and Gabe Kapler both did so against the White Sox in a 10-4 victory.
Juan Gonzalez and Dean Palmer also accomplished the feat on April 5, 1993, in a 7-4 victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards. The others were Pete O'Brien in 1988 and Buddy Bell in 1982.
According to baseball-reference.com, Odor is only the third second baseman in history to hit two home runs in his team's first game. The others were Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox in 2015 and Felipe Lopez of the D-backs in 2009.
Gomez also hit an impressive home run off Kluber in the third. His reached the club level in left field with a blast that was measured at an estimated 461 feet by Statcast™ with an exit velocity of 111.6 mph and a launch angle of 32 degrees.