When teams report to Spring Training, some of them may need a pick-me-up from a teammate to get them going. For Texas Rangers catcher Willie MacIver, he's making himself known around the team for his own style.

MacIver might not be known for his hitting prowess. Yet he's becoming known for his ability to be one chatty dude.

Last November, the Rangers claimed MacIver off waivers from the Athletics. His batting average in 33 MLB games last season for the Athletics was below .200 (it was .186). It didn't even reach the "Mendoza Line" of .199, named for a former MLB infielder not known for his hitting skills either.

But Rangers manager Skip Schumaker is impressed by what he's seen from MacIver, not only as a third-string catcher on the ballclub. But his ability to connect with his teammates, too.

"He’s been fun to have around," Schumaker said on Wednesday, according to Rangers beat reporter Kennedi Landry for MLB.com. “His personality is unbelievable. He's talking every pitch.

"There's always something positive coming from that kid's mouth," Schumaker said. "I think everybody is requesting him [when they] throw a bullpen, because they feel like a Hall of Fame pitcher when they come off the mound."

When asked about his personality while on the field, MacIver simply stated that he considered it God's gift to him.

"It makes me excited to be here working with these pitchers, especially how good of a staff we've got," MacIver said on Wednesday. "It makes my job really fun. I'm a guy who, for the most part, wears my emotions on my sleeve. So when I'm catching guys who are nailing their spots and throwing good bullpens, it gets me fired up."

One thing, among many, that stands out when Schumaker and Rangers coaches watch MacIver work with pitchers is how effective he is in communicating with the pitchers. Also, he's quite focused and intent on every single pitch he's asking the pitcher to throw.

"The best quality of a pitcher is conviction," Schumaker said. "I feel like the best quality from a catcher is also having conviction that this is the pitch you need to throw right now. Him having confidence in it, that he's putting down the right signs, that type of thing. That's how this relationship works."

MacIver sits behind Kyle Higashioka and Danny Jansen in the Rangers' catching rotation. It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that MacIver will be with the Rangers when they break camp down the road in Surprise, Arizona.

Keep an eye on how MacIver plays a role once the regular season kicks off. He's going to have heads turning while working out and getting ready at Spring Training, too.

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