The Rangers won the World Series, in case you missed it, yet the farm system is still in decent shape considering all the players they traded away to acquire Max Scherzer, Jordan Montgomery, and others. Their 2020 draft continues to look like an all-timer, their first pick in last year’s draft mashed his way to Triple A, and they remain among the strongest clubs in finding talent in international free agency.
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Top 100 MLB prospects 2024: Keith Law’s rankings, with Jackson Holliday at No. 1
Rangers 2024 top 20 prospects
(Note: Seasonal ages as of July 1, 2024. Scouting grades are on the traditional 20-80 or 2-8 scouting scale.)
1. Wyatt Langford, OF (2024 top 100 ranking: 6)
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 225 | Seasonal age in 2024: 22
Few draft players have had debuts as good as Langford’s, as he played at four levels last season, hitting .360/.480/.677 in 200 professional PA, and ended the year in Triple A, where he reached base 14 times in 26 trips to the plate. Langford was my preseason No. 1 prospect for the 2023 draft and was No. 2 on draft day after a ruptured testicle took him out for about two weeks in the spring, preventing him from answering scouts’ questions about his outfield defense.
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He’s an electric offensive player, a 70 runner underway who boasts a smooth, powerful right-handed swing where he stays very steady through contact, rotating his hips on time to transfer his weight without becoming unbalanced, putting the ball in the air with a lot of juice. He’s fast enough for center but played left in Florida, in part because they had a plus defender in center but more because Langford has yet to show even solid instincts in the outfield. That said, if what he did in a modest sample in pro ball is any indication, he could play sixth base or top field or anywhere else and still be an impact player, because he looks like he is really going to hit and put 25-30 balls in the seats, too.
2. Evan Carter, OF (2024 top 100 ranking: 9)
Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 190 | Seasonal age in 2024: 21
Carter’s ascent to the majors over the past two years rivals that of anyone other than perhaps Junior Caminero’s, and in some ways is more stunning given that Carter started the 2022 season with just 32 games played beyond high school. The Rangers’ second-round pick in 2020, much-maligned in these quarters as area scouts questioned his contact skills in high school, Carter has shown outstanding plate discipline at every level, including the majors, and the ability to manage an at-bat like a major-league veteran. He’s a plus defender and runner who might end up with a 60 hit tool as well, which would make him an All-Star if so.
There are some beige flags here; he’s never hit left-handed pitching in the minors or majors, his swing probably isn’t going to produce more than average pull power, and he’s shown more propensity to chase now that he’s facing better quality pitching. Brandon Nimmo didn’t hit lefties much at all until he was 25 or 26, and he’s already produced 21 WAR and made himself a ton of money, so the platoon split issue is far from fatal. Carter’s got a very high floor — the worst-case scenario would appear to be that he’s a high-average/OBP platoon outfielder with plus defense — with the ceiling of a star if he hits southpaws better and gets toward 20-ish homers a year.
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3. Sebastian Walcott, SS (2024 top 100 ranking: 40)
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6-4 | Weight: 190 | Seasonal age in 2024: 18
Signed last January for a $3.2 million bonus, the Bahamian-born Walcott spent most of his first pro season in the US, earning huge raves from scouts who saw him launch seven homers in 35 games in the ACL as a 17-year-old. He’s got the potential for 70 power once he fills out, depending on how the hit tool develops from here. He swings very hard, producing the hard contact you’d expect from his swing, but he also struck out 32.3 percent of the time between Rookie ball and four games in Low A (he also played nine games in the Dominican Summer League). Scouts felt like he made progress even within the summer in improving his swing decisions, and he did drop his strikeout rate significantly from July (49 percent) to August (22 percent), although that’s some pretty thin slicing there.
He’s an average runner and definitely not a shortstop, even though he’ll probably play there a few more years until he outgrows it, with third base the most likely position long-term. There is the potential he gets so big he just ends up in an outfield corner. He’s the second-youngest player on the top 100, after Ethan Salas, and has the risk you’d expect from a teenager with so little experience. The fact that he did as well as he did is a great sign, however, and he has the strength and power to back up the hype.
4. Justin Foscue, 2B (Just missed)
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 205 | Bats: R | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 25
Foscue had a pretty remarkable season in Triple A last year, but it was overlooked because of some of the players around him and the fact that the Rangers were so competitive in the majors that they never needed to call him up. Foscue walked more than he struck out in Triple A, and while the automated ball-strike system (ABS) helped boost walk rates everywhere (about 17 percent in the PCL), he was one of only nine players at that level to do that — and the second-youngest, after Xavier Edwards, who has big-league experience. He’s flashed power but he’s evolved over the past three years into an above-average hitter who might hit .300 if he’s given a full shot, with real plate discipline and maybe 15-20 homers at his peak.
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He’s not in the top 100 because he doesn’t really have a position and can’t run at all, limiting his defense and his utility value. I don’t love the defense anywhere, but I think with this kind of bat, he’ll be playable at second base or first and maybe you can live with him at third for a short time. He has to be extremely coveted in trades right now — he could step in and be someone’s regular at first base right now for the minimum salary and likely be close to league average with the bat. I don’t see much ceiling here, but he could be a solid regular for six or seven years, starting now.
5. Brock Porter, RHP
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 204 | Bats: R | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 21
Porter was the Rangers’ second pick in the 2022 draft, signed with the savings from getting Kumar Rocker on an under-slot deal, and he had a solid debut in A-ball despite some inconsistency on the mound. He pitched with average velocity, 90-94 mph, down from high school when he was pitching once a week, although he’d flash a little more in certain games. He’s a big, physical kid with huge arm strength and will probably end up 95-96 if not better once he fills out. He has an above-average changeup, while his slider was a chase pitch and he had some issues getting consistent break or spin on the pitch.
Porter did strike out nearly a third of batters he faced in Low A, getting a lot of chases with two strikes, and he also walked about 14 percent of batters so there’s work to do. He’s athletic and extremely flexible, which can work in a pitcher’s favor — Aaron Nola comes to mind — but it may also take more time for Porter to learn his delivery and get his timing together. He does project as a mid-rotation guy who’ll have plus velocity and a plus changeup, but there’s definitely reliever risk here if he can’t maintain a consistent delivery.
6. Kumar Rocker, RHP
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 245 | Bats: R | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 24
Rocker looked great in his first few outings in the minors last year, raising his arm slot a little, showing his old velocity more (albeit in shorter outings), getting more bite on the slider again … and then his elbow broke, putting him out until at least this summer. If you want to look on the bright side, Rocker may not have been completely healthy for some time — maybe not even since 2019, if we might impute from his declining performance in 2021 and lower arm slot — so maybe the surgery plus the associated time off from pitching gives him more time to heal. It’s above-average starter upside if he’s healthy and the stuff returns and he keeps his arm slot from drifting too far down.
7. Anthony Gutierrez, OF
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 180 | Bats: R | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 19
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Texas was very aggressive with Gutierrez, sending the 18-year-old Venezuelan to Low A to start last season, where I would say he held his own but not much more than that, hitting .259/.326/.338 with a 22 percent strikeout rate. He’s going for contact over impact right now, with a ton of room to fill out and start driving the ball more, with some minor swing issues that he’ll need to clean up both for timing and to hit the ball in the air more often. He’s very toolsy with 55 speed and the chance for plus power when he fills out, with a 70 arm that will help him in right field if he has to move out of center, although right now he looks like he’ll stay up the middle. He barrels the ball up a ton, so while his batted-ball data isn’t great it looks like it will improve as he gets stronger. It’s big hit/power upside, even if he goes to the corner.
8. Jose Corniell, RHP
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 165 | Bats: R | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 21
The Rangers acquired Corniell in a trade in December 2020, before the Dominican right-hander had even pitched in a game, and he had a breakout season last year at age 20 repeating Low A and moving up to High A. He’s 91-95 mph with a 55 slider, 50 changeup, and a new cutter that he’s still working on, showing solid-average control with a very easy, fluid delivery that points to future plus control and even command. He needs more of a clear out pitch, even though the fastball plays well for its velocity, to be more than a mid-rotation guy, but that’s still possible and even if he’s just a No. 4 that’s a great outcome for a guy acquired for one year of Rafael Montero.
9. Owen White, RHP
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 200 | Bats: R | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 24
Not to be overly simplistic, but White’s struggles in Triple A seem to be a matter of getting hit too hard in the zone and then trying to work too much out of the zone as a result, and he walked as many guys as he struck out (32) in 52 1/3 innings for Triple-A Round Rock while giving up 10 homers. The curveball is an out pitch and he can get guys to chase his offspeed stuff if he gets ahead, but his 92-94 mph fastball might not be good enough to generate whiffs in the zone, and he’ll have to change up his pitching plan there or in the majors to get to the quality secondaries. It’s a starter look and in the past has been starter control, with four pitches and an out pitch in the breaking ball, but he has unfortunately gone the way of Cole Winn and lost his command in Triple A, needing something to change to get back to a mid-rotation or better upside.
10. Josh Stephan, RHP
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 185 | Bats: R | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 22
Stephan is a sinker/slider/changeup guy who gets groundballs on about 50 percent of the balls in play he allows and throws a ton of strikes, which gives him a decent chance to stick as a starter. He works with no windup and somewhat short arm action that he repeats really well. His velocity has crept up a little since he signed as an undrafted free agent, sitting now 89-94 mph, with an average slider and average changeup; more velo might require some changes to the delivery and I don’t see the need for that. His season ended in early July due to a back injury, unfortunately, as he’d just reached Double A. If that’s not serious, he looks like a back-end starter to me, maybe more if he keeps his walk rate down around 5 percent as he moves up.
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11. Echedry Vargas, 2B/3B
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 170 | Bats: R | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 19
Vargas hit .315/.387/.569 as an 18-year-old in the Arizona Complex League last summer, showing an advanced bat with a compact swing that produces some sneaky pop. Signed for a meager $10,000 bonus in January 2022, Vargas has quick hands at the plate and stays back well on balls on the outer half while looking to pull stuff on the inner half if he can get his arms extended enough. He led the ACL with 11 homers, the only player in double digits, although I think he’s more of a hitter than a power hitter, and he’ll end up in the 15-20 homer range with a high batting average as he continues to develop. He’s played all over the infield, potentially staying at second or third, with work to do at either position, and he’s a 55 runner. He has just two at-bats above the complex league so far, so he does need to prove he can keep the contact rate up against better pitching. He’s very promising as an offensive prospect who has a couple of paths to deliver value at the plate.
12. Emiliano Teodo, RHP
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 165 | Bats: R | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 22
Teodo started for Low-A Hickory last year with electric stuff, working up to 102 mph with a plus-plus slider, walking too many guys (12.3 percent) but with the athleticism and a good enough delivery to get to average control. He’s mostly just those two pitches right now and needs something for left-handed batters, as he had a sizable platoon split even in High A, barely throwing a changeup — and his arm action and mentality of throwing everything hard may make him better suited to a splitter. It’s high-risk, high-reward; he could be an above-average starter in time if the Rangers are patient, or he could zip to the majors as a two-pitch reliever.
13. Abimelec Ortiz, 1B
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 230 | Bats: L | Throws: L | Seasonal age in 2024: 22
Ortiz hit 33 homers between low and high A last year, tying for fourth in the minors, and he was the second-youngest player in the minors to hit 30 after Junior Caminero. He’s a very big kid, and has a powerful swing — but the swing works pretty well, as he’s short to the ball, hitting it hard because he’s so strong. He does swing and miss more than you’d like, especially on breaking stuff in or out of the zone, but he does take some walks and at 27.7 percent his strikeout rate is low enough to see a path to major-league value as a low-average, 25-30 homer guy at first.
14. Jack Leiter, RHP
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 205 | Bats: R | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 24
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I’m not going to pretend to know exactly what’s gone wrong with Leiter, the No. 2 overall pick in 2021 who went right to Double A the next year and has put up a 5.37 ERA in his two seasons in the minors. His fastball is getting hit hard in the zone, even though it can also miss bats in the upper third; he’s been up to 98 mph with it and it has some carry, but if he misses down at all hitters square it up. His changeup is his worst pitch, yet he’s been able to handle left-handed hitters with his curve and slider, with the curve at least a 55 with good spin and some tight downward break.
One guess I can offer is that he’s going to the fastball too often with two strikes, rather than trying to put hitters away with any of his three offspeed weapons — and maybe he’s just throwing too many fastballs, period, but if it were that easy, wouldn’t he already have made the shift in pitch selection? The Rangers have tried to make some mechanical adjustments with him to smooth out the delivery and improve (or restore) his command. He’s got the stuff and showed such a good feel to pitch at Vanderbilt that it’s hard to believe what’s happened in pro ball. If he can stay within his delivery consistently after the Rangers’ adjustments, maybe he can still be the guy they thought they were drafting.
15. Dustin Harris, LF/1B
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 185 | Bats: L | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 24
I thought Harris was going to come into more power, whether doubles or homers, enough to project as an above-average regular, but over the past two years he hasn’t hit the ball nearly as hard as he’d need to for a corner profile and might end up a tweener instead. He does make contact and knows the strike zone, almost never missing a fastball, so there’s a foundation here if he does come into some power later than most guys, but he’s 24 this year so the clock is really ticking.
16. Mitch Bratt, LHP
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 190 | Bats: L | Throws: L | Seasonal age in 2024: 20
Bratt is a command-and-control lefty who fills the strike zone with some average stuff, pitching at 88-93 mph with a little projection for more, with a fringy slider and changeup but such good feel for pitching that he seems likely to improve both pitches with more experience. I think the slider could end up a 55 as he can definitely spin it. He’s extremely competitive and attacks hitters even without premium stuff, so if he gains some velocity or amps up either secondary pitch, he could be very good very quickly.
17. Yeison Morrobel, OF
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 170 | Bats: L | Throws: L | Seasonal age in 2024: 20
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Morrobel’s advanced approach was evident in his month in Low A, as he walked 22 times against 34 strikeouts in 151 plate appearances and posted a .384 OBP, but he injured his shoulder and underwent surgery on his labrum, so that’s all he played. From what he’s shown so far, he’s a good hitter with that approach and good feel for the barrel, probably not projecting to much more than average power and with some concern that his swing gets grooved when he tries too hard to pull the ball. He has some projection left to get to maybe 15-ish homers, so his chance to be a regular in an outfield corner is to hit for average with a high OBP. He should be healthy for spring training.
18. Antoine Kelly, LHP
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 205 | Bats: L | Throws: L | Seasonal age in 2024: 24
Kelly’s been up to 100 mph, averages 96-97, and has a plus slider, and in 2023 he had his best year since undergoing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome early in 2021, working entirely in relief for the first time and striking out 32 percent of batters he faced between Double A and Triple A. He should be in the major-league bullpen on Opening Day if there’s a spot.
19. Jonathan Ornelas, IF/OF
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 196 | Bats: R | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 24
Ornelas had an odd year in Triple A last season, hitting the ball harder than ever but suddenly hitting it into the ground at the highest rate of his career. He’s an average defender at short with a 55 arm, so he can play a couple of spots as a utility guy, although he’s not a runner so he probably couldn’t handle center even though he’s played it a little in the minors. If he can lift the ball a little more, he could be a good extra infielder.
20. Aaron Zavala, OF
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 193 | Bats: L | Throws: R | Seasonal age in 2024: 24
Zavala had a .277/.420/.453 line between High A and Double A in 2022, his first full year in the minors, then had Tommy John surgery in the offseason … and was awful at the plate in his return last year, .193/.343/.285 with a 37.3 percent strikeout rate in Double A, where he’d played a month before the surgery. I have no explanation other than that maybe he came back too soon, or played through some soreness that inhibited the swing. Before the injury, he offered pretty much what you saw — some hit, real patience, some power, maybe enough to profile as a regular in a corner outfield spot without a lot of defensive value. His timing seemed off, and he swung and missed way more at strikes than he ever had before. I’m inclined to write it off as a lost year due to the surgery, and I say that as someone who questioned Zavala’s upside before he got hurt.
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MLB 2024 farm system rankings: Keith Law ranks all 30 teams, Orioles are new No. 1
Others of note
• Shortstop Cameron Cauley is a 70 runner and probably ends up a 55 or better defender at shortstop, but he hasn’t hit and it looks unlikely that he’s going to figure out how to do so.
• Right-hander Marc Church is 94-98 mph with a 65 slider (Statcast calls it a cutter), walking 15 percent of batters faced last year, a possible middle reliever if he throws it over the plate a little more.
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• Right-hander Aidan Curry is 89-93 mph with a slider and changeup, throwing strikes but lacking an out pitch; he was very good in Low A as a 20-year-old but couldn’t throw strikes in two outings in High A to finish the year.
• Outfielder Marcos Torres is a left-handed hitter with some bat speed and the projection to get to average or above-average power, probably lacking enough hit tool to be more than a fourth outfielder.
2024 impact
Carter is in the starting lineup on Opening Day. Foscue probably comes up if there’s an injury on the infield, but he’s blocked for the moment. White and Kelly should pitch in the majors, with White maybe a spot starter while Kelly could go right into the bullpen. I don’t think Langford sees the majors right away, but I’ll be surprised if he’s not up by the All-Star break.
The fallen
Cole Winn was a first-rounder, and then a top-100 prospect, but the right-hander once known for his command has been a mess in two years in Triple A, and even a move to the bullpen didn’t help him last year. He went from walking 9 percent of batters in Double A in 2021 to walking 15 percent and then 14 percent in two years in Triple A. I’ve never heard a good explanation for how it happened; sometimes guys who lose the zone like this are hurt, but that’s never come up with Winn and he’s still pitching, making six starts for Caguas in the Puerto Rican Winter League.
Sleeper
You can probably guess it’s Vargas, whom I heard other teams were asking Texas for at the trade deadline.
(Top photo of Wyatt Langford: Tony Farlow / Four Seam Images via Associated Press)
