Cal Baseball: Marcus Semien Breaks Out With a 7-for-8 Doubleheader, Including 3 Homers

The first-year Texas Ranger boosted his average from .196 to .221 in one day.

Through his first 53 games entering play Tuesday, Marcus Semien had three home runs. This is a guy who hit a career-best 45 a year ago for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Texas Rangers couldn’t have felt they were getting their money’s worth after signing the former Cal star to a seven-year, $175 million contract in the offseason.

Then on Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians, Semien doubled his season homer total. He hit three of them during a 7-for-8 batting performance as the Rangers split a doubleheader.

“When he rolls, we roll,” manager Chris Woodward told the Dallas Morning News before the series began.

The Rangers aren’t exactly rolling at 26-29, but everyone in the clubhouse has to be encouraged by the direction of Semien’s production.

In one day, Semien boosted his batting average 25 points, from .196 to .221. It’s the first time all season he peaked above the .200 mark. He has all six of his home runs in the past 13 games, during which time he has slashed .339/.394/.631/1.025.

Marcus Semien / Twitter

Semien, who did not hit his first homer until the Rangers’ 43rd game, told reporters Tuesday he hasn’t overhauled his approach.

"Balls do start falling," the 31-year-old said. "That's nothing I've changed. It's just constant work in the cage and getting into position where you're hitting fastballs, taking breaking balls out of the zone and controlling the strike zone at the same time.

"And when I'm doing both of those things, I'm usually doing a lot better. I think I'm on the right track.”

A good fastball hitter through his career, Semien has struggled against the hard stuff this season. But six of his seven hits, including all three home runs, came off fastballs. The last of those was launched off a 98 mph delivery from lefty Anthony Gose.

Woodward, his manager, is seeing a player who is regaining his belief.

“When he finds it, you can tell,” Woodward told the Morning News. “There is a little more conviction. There is a little more trust in every swing. He puts a lot emphasis on feel and you could tell he was feeling fearless with the bat.”

It wasn’t a perfect day for Semien, who made a fielding error in the first game, then compounded it by failing to realize a Cleveland pinch-runner was dashing to the plate. By the time Semien reacted, it was too late.

Otherwise, there was good progress from Semien, who finished third in the American League MVP voting last season for the second time in three years:

— Semien became the second Ranger to hit at least three home runs in a doubleheader, joining Al Oliver, who had four against Detroit in 1980.

— His seven hits matched the team record for a doubleheader shared by by Marlon Byrd (2009) and Fred Valentine (1968).

— Semien, recently moved to the leadoff spot, and fellow free-agent signee Corey Seager (10 years, $325 million) opened Game 1 with back-to-back hits for the first time all year. They have batted 1-2 in the order 19 times.

— And Semien stole a base in each game, giving him 10 in 11 attempts this season. Doing back to the start of the 2020 season, he is 29 for 31 (93.5 percent), nearly a sure thing on the bases.

Asked about his performance by Bally Sports Southwest, Semien said, "It absolutely means something. You want to do well, but I've never had a night quite like this before.”

Cover photo of Marcus Semien by David Richard, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo