The Sunday Read: A normal offseason, camp should have Rangers on same page after rushed spring in 2022

(AP photo/Charlie Riedel)

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Spring training 2022 was not spring training.

The MLB lockout pushed the start of camp back almost a full month. Games were chopped from the schedule. The workout days before games started were also reduced.

Complicating matters was that coaches weren’t allowed to have any contact with players for more than three months.

Camp turned into a four-week cram session for the season, which didn’t leave much time for fundamentals, swing adjustments, building trust and creating a culture.

The sprint to Opening Day isn’t why the Rangers won only 68 games, and they aren’t attempting to use it as an excuse. But it contributed to a slow start and delayed work that would have taken place during a normal spring.

It was a big deal, bigger than they realized at the time and something they understand in full now after having a full offseason to prepare for the 2023 campaign.

While the Rangers hit the ground running last spring, they didn’t necessarily know which way to go. That will be different Monday for the first full-squad workout of camp.