Evan Carter is a House-Hold Name
How the Rangers 21-year-old is making strides and turning heads with his first taste of playoff baseball.
On September 8th, 2023, the Texas Rangers called up Evan Carter, in hopes of him contributing as a a depth bat for their playoff push. What fans didn’t know, is how much of an immediate impact the rookie would make to their club.
Carter, a 21-year-old native of Elizabethton, Tennessee, didn’t have the same opportunity to generate high school buzz as kids do today due to his senior season being cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In fact, he was planning on attending Duke University, until the night of the MLB Draft where he was surprisingly picked in the second round, and offered a signing bonus above slot value.
Area scout Derrick Tucker thought the left-handed hitter had 5-tool upside, and boy, Carter is making him look like a genius.
In the minor leagues, Carter dominated at every level he was challenged with. He posted a 138 wRC+ in A-ball as an 18-year-old, and flew through the system, reaching Triple-A at age 20. A rare feat for a high school draftee.
After just a few years riding buses and checking into 2-star hotels, the youngster was slashing .353/.436/.382 for the Round Rock Express when Texas decided he was ready for the show.
Carter went deep in just his third MLB game and continued his momentum like a freight train. He posted a .306 AVG with 5 HR, 12 RBI, and an impressive 1.058 OPS across 22 big league contests. What’s most impressive? He just keeps getting better.
Carter's First Career Postseason HR
Many casual fans are just finding out about this kid because of his postseason presence. His patience at the plate is to die for, and while he doesn’t swing often, when he does…damage is done.
Carter is currently 5-for-10 with 6 walks, 1 HR, 3 RBI, and has an absurd OBP% of .706. As a 21-year-old. His clutch hitting has propelled the Rangers to a 4-0 playoff record thus far, increasing their World Series odds tremendously.
