Baseball America Player's Journal | Texas Rangers Player Page

Background: Will Young be better than Pirates second baseman Warren Morris? The Rangers essentially traded Morris for Young. Morris was the key player given up in 1998 for righthander Esteban Loiaza, who was dumped on Toronto last summer for Young and righthander Darwin Cubillan.

Strengths: The Rangers wanted Young for his athleticism. He runs well and has an excellent arm, good enough to play the outfield if necessary. The Blue Jays had Young batting cleanup at times, but the Rangers turned him into a leadoff hitter because of his quick swing. He responded, though he still needs to draw more walks.

Weaknesses: Young is still learning how to use his speed on the bases. He tends to be tentative. Young also can be too deliberate on defense. The Blue Jays had moved him to second base, but he returned to shortstop after the trade.

The Future: Settling on a position for Young was an issue–until the Rangers signed Alex Rodriguez. Young clearly won’t be playing shortstop in Texas, and he’s probably better suited for second base anyway. Unfortunately for him, he’ll have to contend with Romano.