The Texas Rangers are surging, and 23-year-old Jurickson Profar is leading the charge. After two lost seasons, the former top prospect is finding his way.
Three short years ago, shortstop Jurickson Profar was the consensus top prospect in baseball. He was signed only a few months after his sixteenth birthday, and he hit well in Low-A ball at the age of 17 in 2010. When he reached Double-A and continued to rake at 18, Profar had everyone in baseball’s attention.
In October 2011, in an article for Fangraphs, Mike Newman said, “In the case of Jurickson Profar, I’ve scoured my notes and video to identify problem areas in his all-around game, but I simply can’t find any. At present, the young shortstop is as complete a position prospect as one could hope to find at any level of the minor leagues.” He seemed to be destined for stardom, and was even occasionally mentioned in the same breath as Bryce Harper.
Only a few months after his 19th birthday, Profar was a September call-up for the Rangers, and he made a big statement right away. While his anemic .176 batting average in 17 plate appearances was unimpressive, he hit a home run in his very first plate appearance. The hype surrounding Profar was immense at the start of the 2013 season, as he was named the number one prospect in baseball. He logged 166 plate appearances in Triple-A to start 2013 before being called up on May 19.
With the eyes of the baseball world upon him, Profar set out to prove himself worthy of the hype he had received, even as the youngest player in MLB. He sputtered out of the gate and never recovered, posting a horrendous triple-slash of .234/.308/.336 in 324 plate appearances. Some of the hype around Profar understandably died down, but hope for future stardom remained; he was still only 20 years old.
The following offseason, the Rangers shipped longtime second baseman Ian Kinsler to the Detroit Tigers for Prince Fielder, leaving second base wide open for Profar. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn shoulder muscle prior to the season, causing him to miss the entire 2014 season. In his absence, a player even younger than him, Rougned Odor, took over at second base. Before the 2015 season, more bad news struck. Profar required shoulder surgery, causing him to miss yet another season. Once baseball’s top prospect, he was suddenly baseball’s newest “what could have been.”
Odor had a standout season at second base in 2015, and the middle infield of Odor and Elvis Andrus was set coming into this season. With no clear playing time available, Profar was sent to Triple-A to start the season. In 189 plate apperances, he impressed with a line of .284/.356/.426. After Odor was suspended for punching Jose Bautista, he was finally given his chance.
This time around, Profar started hitting early and often. Even after Odor’s return, Profar has found his way into the lineup every chance he can get. In 95 plate appearances so far in 2016, he has hit an incredible .352/.379/.516. His current BABIP is an absurd .392, so he is going to regress at some point. But, I believe he can continue being a valuable member of this Rangers squad. A shortstop by trade, he’s made starts at all four infield positions and DH. Any player capable of playing four plus positions has significant value, especially with his potential. Come October, who knows what he can do?
He seemed to be destined for stardom, and was even occasionally mentioned in the same breath as Bryce Harper.
While many considered him a trade chip in the offseason, Profar is proving his worth to this team right now. He’s providing an instant spark off the bench and his versatility is a valuable asset whether in the starting lineup or off the bench. He’s hit three home runs in addition to two triples and two doubles. The Rangers have gone 22-7 (.758) since Profar’s promotion in May; I don’t think that’s merely a coincidence.
There are still talks of using Profar as a trade chip before the deadline, but I think such a move would not be wise. He is still only 23 years old, and his future is still very bright. Regression from his current stat line is inevitable, and selling high on him now makes sense, but the Rangers should hold on to him. A future infield including Profar, Odor and Joey Gallo could terrorize opposing pitching staffs for years to come.
Next: Rangers Trade Deadline Preview
Jurickson Profar has endured a long journey from his major league debut to today, but it’s finally his time to shine. Thanks to Profar and the other members of the young core, both the present and the future look very bright for the Texas Rangers.