Texas Rangers: Top 10 Rookie-Eligible Prospects for 2018
We have reached the point of the offseason where prospect lists abound. We continue our top 10 prospects for every team with the Texas Rangers!
Our team top 10 prospect lists at Call to the Pen are spearheaded by Benjamin Chase. Today, he gives us the top ten prospects for the Texas Rangers.
This season, we will be going through teams by division, in order of 2017 record. The AL East will be first, followed by the AL Central and AL West. Then the focus will shift to the National League in the same order.
The format will be as it was last season for the same lists, with a system review, which will include last season’s list. The top 10 will follow in reverse order, two players per page in order to give adequate space to each player. Major trades or international signings will lead to an updated top 10!
Finally, don’t go away after #1 is revealed as each list will also contain a player either signed in the 2017 international free agent class or drafted in 2017 that isn’t part of the top 10 and should be tracked. Last season’s mentions in that area made over half of the top 10s this season, so this is a great way to get to know a player who could be making a big splash in the organization.
System overview
The Texas Rangers have been able to remain competitive for almost 15 years at this point, utilizing a strong Latin program in their farm system and quality trades to have just season since 2004 with a win-loss percentage of under .450. The Rangers have averaged nearly 85 wins per season over that 14-year span and look to once again be at least better than a .500 team in 2018.
Changes in the international system have changed the way the Rangers farm system acquires talent now, relying more on quality drafting late in the draft rather than dumping loads of money into the Latin market and letting the cream rise to the top like they had for years.
That has started to manifest on the look of the Texas Rangers top prospect list as the system now has more players acquired via draft than any other mode (international free agent, trade) this season. The system is in the bottom half of the league, but not near the bottom systems in the game at this point, so there is plenty for Rangers fans to look forward to!
Let’s take a look at that system….
Next: #9 and #10