Major League Baseball

Young DeShields making a strong impression on Rangers

Published May. 18, 2015 6:22 p.m. ET

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Delino DeShields wasn't exactly expected to be a linchpin of the 2015 Texas Rangers prior to the season, but he's definitely earning rave reviews so far.

Picked up in the Rule 5 Draft from the Houston Astros, the Rangers (and GM Jon Daniels) saw promise in the 22-year-old outfielder, who previously had to battle long odds to make it through the minor league system.

Cody Stavenhagen of MLB.com wrote a profile on DeShields and his journey - both in his own career and out of the shadows of his father, also named Delino DeShields, who had a successful 13-year career from 1990-2002.  

Said the young DeShields on what he heard after struggling in his first year in the Minors: "People were like, 'Ah, he shouldn't have been drafted in the first round, you'll never be as good as your dad,' that type stuff." He used that criticism as fuel to come back a year later and be named the Astros' Minor League Player of the Year. 

Even though the Astros once valued him that highly, they left him unprotected in the Rule 5 Draft - but DeShields put a positive spin on that: "It's a business. You have to have a lot of faith in yourself and not get discouraged when somebody loses faith in you. When the Astros didn't protect, me, I was like, 'OK, well, another door is going to open.'"

He's smashing through that door with authority right now. DeShields has played in 24 games for the 2015 Rangers entering play Monday, and is slashing .283/.397/.396 with ten stolen bases...and perhaps even more importantly, he's leaving quite an impression on his new club.

According to Prince Fielder, DeShields "Steals bases, hits triples, hits balls in the gap, he can play good defense, he can do it all." His manager, Jeff Banister, offered up some warm praise of the youngster, suggesting that "I used the term the other day, 'We're watching him grow up in front of our eyes,' and we really are."

DeShields definitely seems to be making the most of his second opportunity to make a lasting impression with a Major League club. What happens next is up to him.

(h/t MLB.com)

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