The Texas Rangers' minor league system was considered to be middle-of-the-pack in baseball entering the 2025 season.
That number is assuredly going to drop with starting pitcher Jack Leiter already graduating from prospect status this year and Kumar Rocker not far behind.
Buoying the system with that duo nearly off the list is Double-A Frisco shortstop Sebastian Walcott, who burst onto the scene with his incredible measurables.
What will ultimately determine the impact of this group will be health.
Rocker and Leiter have both battled injuries already, and another top prospect -- the No. 3-ranked right-handed pitcher Alejanadro Rosario -- is out for the season after undergoing elbow surgery.
Another right-handed pitcher, Caden Scarborough, is turning into a nice breakout player after having little fanfare coming out of high school ahead of the 2023 MLB draft.
However, a majority of the team’s top prospects who haven’t already reached the Majors are in the lower levels of the minor leagues, years away from contributing in The Show.
Kiley McDaniel of ESPN is predicting it will be their No. 4-ranked prospect, right-handed pitcher Winston Santos.
“Osuna recently made his big league debut so, if healthy, Santos is the clear answer -- but he has made only two appearances after starting the season with a back issue,” he wrote.
That back injury is the only thing that has held him back from taking that next step in his career.
The adjustments made with his mechanics at the end of 2023 worked magnificently, with him producing at an elite level in High-A leading to a promotion to Double-A in 2024.
Santos has remained at Double-A, and if he can remain healthy, he will continue his climb through the system, possessing excellent velocity on his fastball that reaches 98 mph and sits between 94-96.
He also has a slider and changeup in his arsenal, giving him an impressive three-pitch mix already at 23 years old.
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