Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (2) | 2011 (15) | 2010 (2) | 2009 (1) | 2008 (4)
2012 Affiliate Records
MLB: [93-69] AL West
AAA: [69-75] Pacific Coast League – Round Rock
AA: [80-60] Texas League – Frisco
A+: [74-65] Carolina League – Myrtle Beach
A: [74-65] South Atlantic League – Hickory
A(ss): [28-48] Northwest League — Spokane
Graduated Prospects
Yu Darvish (RHP); Robbie Ross (LHP); Michael Kirkman (LHP)
The Run Down
This Rangers system is stacked. I could’ve gone 20 deep here, and I’d still be listing guys with bigger upside than most systems feature at the back-end of their top tens. One guy I had a hard time not listing here is 2012 first-rounder Lewis Brinson. Consider him #11 for now, but Brinson has the type of explosive athleticism that could carry him to the top of this list in a year’s time (that’s assuming guys like Profar and Olt graduate, of course). There are other youthful, high-upside types, too, in Jorge Alfaro and Joey Gallo. And as we know, there’s a slew of high-impact potential at the upper reaches of the organization. I’ve been outspoken about the St. Louis system being the best system in baseball for fantasy purposes and otherwise, but this Texas Rangers system is not far behind.
Top Ten Prospects
1. Jurickson Profar, SS: He’s ready for a full-time gig, but the Rangers depth chart can’t accommodate for that just yet. He’ll wait at Triple-A Round Rock for an opportunity in the bigs. Profar brings legit 20-20 potential, along with .300+ AVG, and an OBP north of .350. From shortstop, that sort of production would be enormous. Here’s Grey’s Jurickson Profar fantasy. Also check out my Top 25 Prospects for 2013, where Profar came in at #15. ETA: 2013
2. Mike Olt, 3B/1B: Olt will begin the year at Triple-A, but he’s only a Lance Berkman trip to the DL away from joining the big club. With the potential to hit 30+ homers and collect a ton of RBI from the middle of a stacked lineup, he’s a guy you’ll want. For more on Olt, Grey has his fantasy for ya, and I slotted the 24-year-old slugger at #14 in the aforementioned Top 25. ETA: 2013
3. Leonys Martin, OF: Martin came in at #13 on that Top 25 for 2013 list I keep referencing. He’s primed to get the bulk of the time in center for the Rangers, but Craig Gentry will likely start ahead of him versus LHP. Martin brings a plus hit tool and growing power to the fantasy game, and it might not be long before Texas does away with the platoon and gives the 25-year-old Cuban the full-time job. For more on him, check out Grey’s outfield ranks, where Martin came in at #63. ETA: 2013
4. Martin Perez, LHP: He ranked #18 in my Top 25 Prospects for 2013, but that ranking was prior to news of the broken forearm he suffered this spring. Perez will be shelved for the first month of the season, before returning to action at the Triple-A level. He might not be long for the minors if his stuff returns to form — a deep arsenal including an outstanding changeup will allow him to be an above-average arm at the big league level. ETA: 2013
5. Jorge Alfaro, C: Alfaro’s tools profile suggests a guy who could post .275 AVG and 25 or so homers, all while doing an outstanding job defensively behind the dish. The 19-year-old is already through is first year of full-season ball, and in that regard, he’s right on track developmentally. As far as translating his raw tools into production on the field, though, Alfaro has a long way to go (.261/.320/.430 in 2012 at Low-A). He’ll step up to High-A in 2013 where the Rangers hope to see an improved line. ETA: 2016
6. Justin Grimm, RHP: Grimm was battling for the 5th spot in the Rangers rotation, but was recently reassigned to Triple-A, as Texas seems more comfortable with fellow prospect Nick Tepesch in that role. Grimm’s secondary stuff could use a bit more refinement, but he brings more impressive potential than Tepesch (he falls in the 15-20 range in this system for me). My guess is that it won’t be long ’til we see Grimm starting games in Arlington, but there’ll be further competition for a role once Martin Perez is back and healthy. ETA: 2013
7. Luis Sardinas, SS: Injuries have held him back developmentally, but Sardinas has the most impressive defensive tools at shortstop in the organization. That doesn’t help us much in the fantasy game, but .300 AVG and 25+ steals from a premium position would certainly be valuable, and he brings that sort of upside. Of course, he’s buried on the organizational depth chart in the middle infield, and there’s plenty of uncertainty given his oft-injured reputation. Sardinas will step up to High-A in 2013. ETA: 2015
8. Rougned Odor, 2B: An advanced hit tool and plus defensive tools up the middle should make Odor a nice fantasy piece one day. Expect solid AVG and 15+ stolen bases at the big league level, but that projection could improve if he takes another step forward in 2013. Odor can reach the upper levels at age 19 if he starts off well at High-A. ETA: 2015
9. Cody Buckel, RHP: Buckel tossed 144 innings between High- and Double-A in 2012, posting a 2.49 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP and a 9.9 K/9. Great command of a deep arsenal makes him another candidate to earn starts for the Rangers at some point this season, although his overall potential isn’t quite as impressive as Perez’s or Grimm’s. I’ve also heard the Buckel is best friends with Trevor Bauer, so clearly he has questionable judgement. That’s gotta drag down the overall projection. ETA: 2013
10. Joey Gallo, 3B: Gallo was drafted out of high school at 39th overall last June. The 19-year-old features enormous power potential and he provided a glimpse of it in his pro debut, posting a monstrous .388 ISO in 260 PA between instructional level and short-season A ball. There’s a long way to go here, but Gallo has the necessary raw power to develop into one of the more prolific home run hitting prospects in the minors. ETA: 2016
