Three outliers that will accelerate the Texas Rangers timeline
The Texas Rangers have been far from inspiring this season, though a few outliers give hope to a nearing turnaround.
What do the top teams in Major League Baseball have? A backend of a bullpen that blows batters away with high-90s fastballs and wipeout breaking balls. A frontline starting pitcher that piles up swings and misses and can reach a new level of dominance in run-threatening situations. A center fielder with extraordinary athletic ability, capable of making acrobatic grabs and gunning down aggressive baserunners. The Texas Rangers have lacked these types of standout talents for quite some time, until now.
Yes, I understand the irony. The Rangers have what great teams typically have, yet they’re currently the worst team in the American League. Their roster overall lacks talent, plus most of their standouts are just now entering the major league scene and have numerous checkpoints to reach before realizing their potential. What’s significant, however, are their robust pieces that will make building for the future less stressful.
It starts with their #3 prospect.
Leody Taveras
Texas Rangers center fielder and #3 prospect, Leody Taveras, turned 22 years old on Tuesday. He debuted this season and has now played in 15 games with Texas, thus far hitting .222 with two home runs and a .316 OBP. Taveras has fluctuated within the organization’s prospect rankings, possessing the #1 spot in 2017 before falling to #5 a year ago. His bat is “wait and see,” though his defense is already elite.
Rating 65 on the prospect grading scale (20-80), fielding is Taveras’ top tool. His speed is the next highest rating at 60, and then his arm at 55. His 6’2”, 195 LB frame and long-stride running style are reminiscent of Minnesota Twins’ center fielder, Byron Buxton, who many consider to be the best at his position in MLB. While Buxton’s abilities prevail, Taveras’ are not far behind. The two could directly compete for Gold Glove awards for years to come.
It’s been a long time since Texas has had as athletic of a center fielder as Taveras. Delino DeShields was faster, though he did not have the arm strength or length of Taveras. Josh Hamilton was a tremendous athlete, though he was not nearly as fast as Taveras.
If the 22-year-old can compete with the bat, then the Rangers can feel confident and comfortable with their center fielder for the next decade or so. Without a doubt, that’s a critical position to lockdown.
Jonathan Hernandez, Rafael Montero, Jose Leclerc
The Texas Rangers have a new setup man and closer this season. Right-handed pitcher Jonathan Hernandez has taken on the majority of eighth-inning work. The 24-year-old rookie has a 2.91 ERA over 21.2 innings pitched. He’s averaging 9.6 K/9, and his walk rate has dropped 70% from a nine-appearance stint with the team a year ago.
Hernandez’s fastball averages 98 mph and his slider 89 mph. He leans on those pitches 91% of the time, and his changeup the other 9%.
Texas prepped him as a starting pitcher in the minor leagues, but used him as a reliever in seven of his nine appearances in 2019. His dominance in the setup role this season has likely set the expectation for future seasons.
Rafael Montero has solidified Texas Rangers’ victories as the club’s closer for most of the season. His effectiveness out of the bullpen has far exceeded the minor league contract that the Rangers signed him to during the 2018 offseason.
Over 10.2 innings pitched, Montero has a 2.53 ERA and a 0.750 WHIP. He’s converted all seven save opportunities and is striking out over a batter an inning.
He flaunts electric stuff, including a fastball that averages 95.1 mph with consistent tail and a changeup that falls off the table. He pitches similarly to Jose Leclerc, who assumed closer duties for the Rangers before a right shoulder injury forced him to the sidelines this year.
Leclerc and Montero share an appetency for the power changeup. They also manage the strike zone similarly and heave the ball at similar velocities. Naturally, you wonder how each pitcher will be handled when healthy at the same time.
The Rangers have Leclerc under contract through 2024, while Montero is arbitration-eligible through 2022, and Hernandez is still in the pre-arbitration phase of his contract.
If the trio refrains from the injured list, then the Texas Rangers are looking at a lights out backend of the bullpen for the foreseeable future. And don’t forget that triple-digit hurler, Demarcus Evans, is waiting for his turn to shine with the major league club. He’ll want to join the party.
Lance Lynn
While Lance Lynn‘s trade value will extend to the offseason, the Texas Rangers keeping him through this season’s trade deadline creates the belief that they want him to head the rotation next year, and perhaps years after that.
Lynn, 33, is among the league leaders in ERA, strikeouts, and opponent’s batting average. He leads the American League in innings pitched and quality starts.
Texas has its ace. The questions are, how long will they keep their current ace, and how long will he be an ace?
The Rangers have Lynn under contract through next season at the cost of $8 million. As Lynn will be 35 years old for the 2022 season, it’s unlikely he’ll get much money on the open market. Texas could use his age as leverage and sign him to a team-friendly extension if they believe his success will sustain.
They’ll have a steal if he continues to pitch like an ace. Lynn has improved with age, so there’s a chance that he does. If he does regress, he’ll likely still be a quality mid-rotation arm, plus he can share some wisdom with the Rangers’ emerging starters as time goes on.
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Hopefully, Lynn has additional dominant seasons that aren’t tarnished like the present one. He has been nothing shy of outstanding for the Texas Rangers.