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.

In the last five years, the Rangers have watched the AL West rival Houston Astros hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy twice as Texas powered through a rebuild that the club is finally on the other side of.

This has the potential to be the most interesting camp that the Rangers have seen in years, and fans should be excited going into the 2023 season. Here are three storylines to watch play out in Spring Training.

1. Did the Rangers do enough to improve the offense?

Well ... they didn’t add a single offensive player on a big league deal and will more or less head into 2023 with the same lineup they finished ‘22 with.

That’s not to say it was a bad lineup. There’s a solid offensive core with Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis García. Top prospect Josh Jung should feel comfortable with a healthy offseason and some big league plate appearances under his belt, and the return of Mitch Garver from flexor tendon surgery will no doubt extend the lineup.

But can Jonah Heim regain his form from early 2022, when he slashed .262/.313/.467 before the All-Star break? And can Leody Taveras solidify himself as a bona fide big leaguer? And what in the world is going on in left field? (More on that later).

Texas was a middle-of-the-pack offensive team last year, and the additions on the pitching end no doubt improve the squad as a whole, but a team .239/.301/.395 slash line isn’t winning a World Series. More than one player will need to take a step forward this season in order for the Rangers to be contenders.

2. Health of the new-look rotation

That being said, the rotation is definitely something to watch in camp, specifically as it pertains to the health of the pitchers. The Rangers basically purchased an entire new rotation, adding Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney via free agency and Jake Odorizzi via trade this winter, but all four spent time on the IL last season.

Of the six potential rotation members, including Jon Gray, only Martín Pérez didn’t land on the IL at some point in 2022.

deGrom: 64 1/3 IP in 2022 (126 ERA+)
Gray: 127 1/3 IP (99 ERA+)
Pérez: 196 1/3 IP (136 ERA+)
Heaney: 72 2/3 IP (136 ERA+)
Odorizzi: 106 1/3 IP (90 ERA+)
Eovaldi: 109 1/3 IP (109 ERA+)

The Rangers were clearly comfortable with the health of all players, and general manager Chris Young has said as much, but the depth they now have in the rotation offers a Plan B for any potential injuries in the coming season.

Nothing will ever work out perfectly, but Texas has a rotation that is seemingly built to outlast injuries, and Spring Training will be the first look at this high-risk, high-reward staff.

3. Left field question mark

The Rangers' biggest question mark going into the offseason was in left field, and that question mark remains even after another big spending winter from ownership. Holdover options from last season include veteran Brad Miller and a trio of 2022 rookies in Josh H. Smith, Ezequiel Duran and Bubba Thompson.

Miller is coming off an injury-riddled 2022, but he’s still valuable in a platoon situation with his career .765 OPS against right-handed pitching. Smith and Duran are both converted middle infielders who are blocked by the long-term contracts of Seager and Semien. Thompson's best role may be as a fourth outfielder or defensive replacement because of his speed and defensive abilities, but a number of incoming rule changes will benefit his skillset.

Two NRI outfielders in Jackson Frazier (formerly Clint) and Travis Jankowski will also compete for spots on the Opening Day roster, but it truly seems like the Rangers are finished adding at the big league level.

The most likely outcome is some sort of platoon in left field and to reevaluate the situation at the Trade Deadline, but manager Bruce Bochy would no doubt like somebody to take charge of the situation to be the everyday player at the position.