Texas Rangers Phenom Evan Carter Regained Weight With Grandma's Mac-N-Cheese, Banana Pudding
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Evan Carter let himself go during the offseason.
The 21-year-old outfielder who helped lead the Texas Rangers to their first-ever World Series title weighed only 175 pounds last October when he batted .300 with nine runs and six RBI in 17 postseason games.
Gaining about 15 to 20 pounds was one of his offseason goals.
"I'm back up to like 192-193; that was my goal," said Carter, who arrived late Friday night with his wife and their Schnauzer, JP.
How did he get so thin? Besides genetics and a lot of exercise, of course, Carter said he was ill when he was called up from Triple-A Round Rock on Sept. 8.
"Playing in 110 degrees in Frisco (and Round Rock) didn't help. Playing the most games I've ever played, that didn't help. Just a whole lot of firsts for me that were really hard on the type of body I have," he said.
Carter prefers to weigh about 192 pounds during the season. The heaviest he's ever played was 200 pounds in 2021, the season he broke his back.
How did he pack on the pounds this winter? A lot of beef and a lot of his grandma's homemade macaroni and cheese and banana pudding.
"That's when I feel my best. I feel strong but still quick," he said.
Carter is only 21 and still technically a rookie, although he has nearly as many postseason at-bats as regular-season at-bats (60 vs. 62).
"I feel like the playoff experience has to count for a little bit more, so, hopefully, I'm just a little bit tougher in the head," he said. "[There's] just a little bit of ease for the mind going into the season. There shouldn't be as much stress or anxiety about [spring training]."
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