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Texas Rangers: 2018 minor league awards

By Benjamin Chase

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 01: Ronald Guzman #67 of the Texas Rangers hits a three-run home run against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on September 1, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 01: Ronald Guzman #67 of the Texas Rangers hits a three-run home run against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on September 1, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) /
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Texas Rangers
AUSTIN, TX – APRIL 22: Round Rock Express outfielder Scott Heinneman warms up prior to game against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on April 22, 2018 at The Dell Diamond in Round Rock, TX. (Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Texas Rangers Minor League Hitter of the Year: Scott Heineman

Level(s): AA Frisco, AAA Round Rock
Stats: .306/.371/.445/.816, 114 G, 500 PA, 22 2B, 12 HR, 18 SB, 39/98 BB/K

The Rangers grabbed Scott Heineman out of the University of Oregon in 2015 in the 11th round, seeing an advanced hitter that should move quickly. He’s done exactly that, opening his pro career with high-A in 2016 and moving up from there.

In 2018, Heineman opened his year with AA Frisco, but after just a week, he was bumped up to AAA, and he hit well all season there. Heineman isn’t a big power hitter or a big time runner. What he is at the plate is a guy who takes a professional at bat every single time with tremendous feel for contact and gap power that should have no problem hitting for a good average, hitting 30 doubles, and putting up 10 HR/10 SB as a major leaguer.

With the organization he’s a part of, comparisons to Rusty Greer have been made fairly frequent. The Rangers would be overjoyed with another Greer.

Runners-up

One of the Rangers top overall prospects, Anderson Tejeda showed very well in the Carolina League in 2018, putting together his lightning-quick bat into real power, smacking 19 home runs on the year. His strikeout tendencies were still there, but they did improve from 2017 to 2018 (29.6% to 27.2%).

A mammoth-sized first baseman coming out of high school, Curtis Terry has not put together a power season commensurate with his size until this year, when he repeated the Northwest League as a 21-year-old. Terry slashed .337/.434/.606 with 17 doubles and 15 home runs over 290 plate appearances, also seeing his walk rate spike significantly, with a 32/64 BB/K ratio. He’ll get his first taste of full-season ball in 2019.

Brought in via trade with the San Francisco Giants, Hunter Cole was on his way to a likely September call-up before an intercostal injury ended his season in early August. Between AA and AAA, Cole put together a .299/.364/.479 line with 16 doubles and 16 home runs.

A catcher and first baseman out of the Dominican Republic, Heriberto Hernandez made his debut in the Texas Rangers system a memorable one this year, hitting .292/.464/.635 with a dozen home runs and a 53/41 BB/K ratio over 60 games. He should get a chance to show himself stateside in 2019.

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