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Texas Rangers Top 10 Prospects For 2017

By Benjamin Chase

Sep 19, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of the Texas Rangers logo during a rain delay in the eighth inning between the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 19, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of the Texas Rangers logo during a rain delay in the eighth inning between the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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6. Cole Ragans, LHP

Birthdate: 12/12/97 (19 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: rookie
Stats in 2016: 7 2/3 IP, 4.70 ERA, 2.22 WHIP, 15.79 BB%, 23.68 K%

Ragans really climbed up charts last summer as he showed to be in the conversation of the top high school lefties in the 2016 draft, with some projecting him as high as the top 15 before the Rangers selected him 30th overall.

Ragans works with three fringe-plus pitches with each having the chance to tick up as he fills into his 6’4 frame.

For a guy with long limbs and just 18 last season, Ragans has impressive repeatability in his mechanics

Ragans has a fastball that he sits in the low-90s with and can run up to 94, but it plays up a lot more than the pure velocity due to his excellent downward plane on the pitch and the late movement he gets.

His curve has the most upside of any of his pitches with a real chance to be a double-plus pitch with the tremendous depth and spin he gets on top of the ball well.

His change has good arm deception and late movement that mimics the fastball, but he’s not thrown it with a ton of confidence, especially to opposite side hitters.

For a guy with long limbs and just 18 last season, Ragans has impressive repeatability in his mechanics and uses that to generate solid control, though he did exhibit some exhaustion in his control issues in his pro debut.

While his debut wasn’t pretty, it’s likely the Rangers will have Ragans in extended spring to start 2017 with an assignment to one of their short season teams.

Next: #5

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