Feb 19, 2025; Surprise, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers player Sebastian Walcott poses for a photo during Media Day at Surprise Stadium. Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Rangers Top Prospect Sebastian Walcott Getting Hot Amid Disappointing Season

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI | By Kyle Morton | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Texas Rangers prospect Sebastian Walcott has quickly shot up top prospect rankings all throughout the industry, currently holding the No. 4 spot in the latest iteration of MLB Pipeline's top 100 list.

The 19-year-old infielder from Nassau, Bahamas jumped to that spot from No. 17 in the preseason version of the list, which itself was a massive leap from his No. 71 standing before the 2024 campaign.

That initial increase in his stock came as a reaction to a stellar effort on his part throughout the 2024 season. Playing as an 18-year-old with the Rangers' High-A affiliate Hickory Crawdads, Walcott hit 10 homers and drove in 49 runs while posting a slash line of .261/.342/.443.

By the end of the season, he had earned himself a chance to get a taste of the Double-A level with the Frisco RoughRiders. It was a miniscule sample size of just five games, but he went 8-for-23 with a slash line of .348/.375/.609 while hitting a home run and stealing a base. The stage was set for Walcott to return to that level this year and establish himself as the sport's top prospect.

Sebastian Walcott Has Had to Adjust to Double-A Pitching

But soon after the start of the season, it quickly became clear that Walcott was not ready to replicate his initial Double-A success over the course of a larger sample. His up-and-down campaign saw him go through a rough stretch in early May, get hot through June and cool back down until recently.

His slugging percentage peaked at a .461 on May 30, but it sank back down all the way to .368 on Aug. 19. Since then, he's begun to rally a bit. On Aug. 20, he hit his first home run since all the way back on July 26, and things have clicked into place for him at the plate since that point.

The righty has gone 10-for-28 since Aug. 21 with six runs scored, a pair of stolen bases and four walks drawn during that time frame. This stretch has lifted his season-long batting average and on-base percentage by eight points each, and it showed he can make the necessary adjustments to get back to being productive despite being challenged.

Whatever success Walcott is able to find this year is really just icing on the cake for his standing as a prospect. It is rare for players his age to make it to Double-A at all, much less to hold their own as productive everyday players.

The fact Walcott has not allowed multiple slumps to derail his season is a testament to his quality as a player, and it's a solid indicator that with a bit more growth, he'll be knocking on the door of the Major League roster in the next couple of years.