SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Here is a scary thought for American League hitters: José Leclerc, who had a fastball averaging 95 mph last season, said he is stronger than he was in 2018.

“I am doing the same things as I did last year, but I have a little more power this spring,” Leclerc said. “I really worked hard on my legs in the gym. I feel good.”

Leclerc is still more than just power. His changeup is a plus pitch, especially against left-handers. Opponents missed on 57.7 percent of their swings against it last year. That’s the highest whiff rate of any pitcher who got at least 25 swings against his change in 2018.

Veteran pitcher Edinson Vólquez found out how good Leclerc’s changeup was a few offseasons ago, when he paid a visit to the Rangers' academy in the Dominican Republic. Volquez just wanted to say hello to some friends, and the Rangers asked him to help Leclerc on his changeup.

“I saw his changeup and said, ‘Nevermind, forget about it,’” Volquez said. “'Your changeup is better than mine. I’m not going to work with you.' Easiest job I ever had.”

Maddon endorses Smyly

Rain forced the Rangers indoors on Thursday, but their scheduled pitchers still threw batting practice in the hitting cages. Drew Smyly’s session went smoothly, continuing the Rangers' hope that he is coming back strong after missing two years while recovering from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon knows what Smyly can do when the left-hander is healthy. Smyly was traded by the Tigers to the Rays for the final two months of the 2014 season -- then managed by Maddon -- and Smyly went 3-1 with a 1.70 ERA and 0.76 WHIP over seven starts.

“I love Drew Smyly,” Maddon said. “If he is healthy, he is going to have a really good year. Drew Smyly is a really good competitor. I saw him actually mature with the Rays. He’s got an elevated fastball, and he has learned to pitch with his breaking ball down in the dirt and his changeup. Got some deception in his delivery. He just needs good health. If he has good health, he’s going to be a very successful productive pitcher."

Sadzeck aims to cut walks

Connor Sadzeck had 11 walks in 9 1/3 innings with the Rangers last September. Five of them came after a first-pitch strike, and two were after an 0-2 count. Sadzeck needs to cut down on his walks to pitch in the big leagues, and those situations could be a good place to start this spring.

“I need to trust my stuff,” Sadzeck said. “You’re facing guys in the big leagues, sometimes I felt I had to trick them. Stick to my strengths and attack the zone is huge.”

Sadzeck has a fastball that can hit 100 mph, but he needs to throw it for strikes. He is also working on his curveball as a potential swing-and-miss pitch. Both will be important as he enters Spring Training out of options. He has to make the team out of camp or be exposed to outright waivers.

“I’ve come to camp trying to win a job, just like every year,” Sadzeck said. “Same as every year, I’m not approaching it any differently. I understand how all that works, but I can’t think about it.”

Rangers beat

• The Rangers are going to be hurting for infield depth early in the Cactus League season. Infielders Christian Lopes and Chase d'Arnaud remain sidelined with strained oblique muscles.

• Rangers outfielder Nomar Mazara on the upcoming season without Adrian Beltre: “We’ve got to step it up. Beltre is gone, but we still have a lot of veteran players and they are going to continue to show us the way. But it’s time for the young players to step it up. There are no excuses, we have to go out and compete. At the end of the day, we have to have a lot of fun, and that’s what I’m seeing this Spring Training."

• Manager Chris Woodward, on seeing Hunter Pence talking with young pitchers like Miguel Del Pozo and Yoel Espinal: “That’s where the divide between pitchers and position players, we’re eliminating that. We need to talk to each other. Just caring about your teammate and avoiding the typical situation: 'This guy may be pitching on another team next year, I’m not going to be buddies with him.’”