This morning's post on which 2012 stats are relevant when altering your expectations for the Rangers this season, I spent a bit of time focusing on Elvis Andrus.
Out of coincidence, Brad spent a lot of time focusing on Andrus in that same vein for a post at Lone Star Ball that is worth reading.
He surmises pretty much the same thing: Andrus is hitting the ball harder, putting it in the air more often, and walking a lot. The last point brought about perhaps his most delicious paragraph:
↵↵↵Among shortstops only Yunel Escobar exceeded 10% in 2011 and only Hanley Ramirez exceeded it in 2010. And even though there are still 75 PA to go before walk rate becomes reliable, even his career mark of 8.7% in those 75 PA would result in a greater than 10% rate.
↵
Players who with this level of discipline this young often develop in to something great. Just developing a little bit of power, coupled with playing shortstop, could turn Andrus in to something extremely great. Anyone who has watched most of the games and seem him rocket multiple fly balls to the opposite field track probably believes his improved power this season has even more room for growth.
↵Which is pretty awesome when you consider he's already on pace to have something like 6.9 Wins Above Replacement this year.