6. Yohander Mendez, LHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 1/17/1995 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Frisco RoughRiders, MLB Texas Rangers
2017 Stats: Minors: 24 GS, 137 2/3 IP, 3.79 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 7.7% BB, 22.3% K; Majors: 7 G, 12 1/3 IP, 5.11 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 5.8% BB, 13.5% K
Info: Mendez was signed out of Venezuela by the Texas Rangers in 2011. At 6’5″, he’s filled into his frame and shows what has become trademark of Venezuelan lefties, a plus changeup.
Mendez has worked his way up the Rangers system step-by-step, reaching AAA in 2016 and even making his major league debut. Working on refining his command and control in 2017, Mendez spent the majority of the season at AA Frisco before a major league call up in September.
Mendez improved his command on his fastball and change tremendously, though he’s working still on his slider and curve to both get consistent break and location on the breaking pitches. The Rangers hope he can push this forward to challenge for a rotation spot during the 2018 season.
The Rangers were pleased to see Mendez’s low-90s fastball play up with additional movement as he focused on pounding the zone. He had his usual elite changeup, and even saw his fringe-average slider and curve play up better with better location.
Mendez will likely compete for the 5th spot in the rotation, especially with Martin Perez likely going to miss the start of the season. He’ll be at AAA providing depth insurance for the rotation if he isn’t with the big club out of Arizona.
5. Cole Ragans, LHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 12/12/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: short-season A-ball Spokane Indians
2017 Stats: 13 GS, 57 1/3 IP, 3.61 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 14% BB, 34.8% K
Info: Ragans was one of the elite prep lefties in the 2016 draft, and the Texas Rangers were very pleased to snag him with the 30th overall selection out of high school in Florida.
While Ragans is not a guy with elite velocity from the left side, he utilizes excellent life and spin rate on his low-90s fastball to see hitters flail at his fastball. His change plays off of that fastball very well and is his best graded pitch, commonly rated as a 65 pitch, some even putting a 70 future grade on the change.
The biggest concern currently with Ragans is consistency with his delivery
The fastball/changeup mix along with a curve that has slipped some since his high school days throws off hitters in such a way that Ragans totals up excellent strikeout rates.
The biggest concern currently with Ragans is consistency with his delivery, and that was evidenced in his struggles with throwing strikes as he routinely struggled to be consistent with his landing in his delivery, often over-extending his lead leg, causing the rest of his body to drag behind and have little support for location or the final snap of movement.
Ragans will likely open 2018 with low-A Hickory for his first taste of full-season ball.
Next: #3 and #4