Rangers Rising Star Cody Freeman Rips Prospect Rankings System

His critique stems from personal experience. Freeman was never a highly ranked prospect himself, not in high school and not climbing through the minors. That journey shaped his view that rankings miss the mark on identifying future big leaguers.​

"When you say the prospect breaking stuff, even like when I got dropped in stuff, I think even in high school, I was never the ranked guy," he said. "I hated that kind of stuff. Not taking away from the top prospects by means or any of that kind of stuff. I think that stuff means nothing".​

Freeman's main argument focuses on the numbers. Prospect lists typically highlight 30 players while organizations carry 150 or more minor leaguers. He called the rankings "eye-washing" and said fans miss out on future stars by focusing only on what computers or small committees decide.​

"You should follow the other 120 players because you're not gonna just base off 30 guys of what a computer says, what a group of five guys say in a room of what kind of players these are," he said. "I want the dog".​

Freeman Names His Sleeper Pick

When asked to spotlight an underrated player, Freeman pointed to Frisco RoughRiders infielder Cam Cauley. The choice reinforces his point about rankings being unreliable. Cauley sits outside the top 15 in most Rangers prospect rankings despite strong tools.​

"The guy reminds me of me," Freeman said. "He's a stud. He's gonna be up in the big leagues this year, and that's one of the prospects that stand out to me for sure."

Cauley, a third-round pick in 2021, bounced back from an injury-plagued 2024 with a solid 2025 campaign at Double-A Frisco. The 22-year-old shortstop slashed .253/.325/.773 with 15 home runs, 51 RBIs and 28 stolen bases across 113 games. His elite speed grades as the best in the Rangers system.​

Why Rangers Fans Should Watch Everyone

Freeman's message extended beyond just Cauley. He encouraged Rangers supporters to track rising prospects heading into 2026 at all levels rather than focusing only on the big names.

"As a Rangers fan, watch all of our prospects and follow all the guys on each roster because we have a great organization," he said. "We have players that aren't ranked that are really, really good baseball players."

The approach makes sense given Freeman's own path. He dominated Triple-A Round Rock with a .336 average, 19 homers, and 71 RBIs before getting his shot last July. His success proves that players outside the spotlight can contribute at the highest level when given opportunities.

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