Top Rangers Prospects Who Could Contribute in 2026

After sending five top prospects to the Washington Nationals in a swap for MacKenzie Gore earlier this offseason, the Texas Rangers left their farm system relatively depleted. Still, though, even after the departure of shortstop Gavin Fein and others, there remains an abundance of talent in Texas’ minor league corps.

The Rangers, who are coming off a disappointing finish in 2025, will be relying on some of that talent to make an impact at the major league level this season. The club’s most major league-ready prospects happen to be pitchers, and could help bolster the rotation and bullpen further than it already has been this offseason.

Besides, the Rangers are one of MLB’s oldest teams by average age; they could really use some young guns as they gear up for a playoff push this season.

Without further ado, here are three Rangers’ top prospects who could make an impact in 2026.

RHP José Corniell – Rangers No. 3

Before missing the entire 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, José Corniell was one of the highest upside pitchers in the Rangers’ minor league system. Now, after managing a solid return this past season, the 22-year-old hurler is pushing towards a role on the major league club.

After returning to action in early July, the right-hander managed 38 innings split across Double- and Triple-A before being promoted for a brief September stint in Texas. In that brief span, Corniell sported just a 1.89 ERA and struck out 28.1% of opponents. He also held opponents to a .170 batting average against and limited free passes, owning a 2.13 BB/9.

With just 38 innings, the sample size from last year is too small to draw any meaningful conclusions. However, Corniell looked just like his old self; in his last fully healthy season, the high strikeout righty owned a 2.92 ERA, 3.63 xFIP, and a 22.0 K-BB%.

Given his limited playing time in 2025 and recent back and triceps soreness, it’s highly likely Corniell will start the year in the minors. If he manages to stay healthy, he might find his earliest playing time coming out of the Rangers’ bullpen, given the relative strength of the rotation. As the season unfolds, we’ll have a clearer picture of how well the young right-hander has truly recovered from his surgery.

RHP David Davalillo – Rangers No. 7

Just 23 years old, David Davalillo has made a name for himself in the Rangers’ minor league system since making his professional debut. The right-hander reached as high as Double-A this past season, and could make a strong push towards a promotion to The Show if his success continues.

In 2025, Davalillo split his time pretty evenly between High- and Double-A, pitching a total of 51 innings at the former and 56 innings at the latter. Across both levels, he managed a 2.44 ERA and 2.86 xFIP, while pitching slightly more effectively on High-A. By no means did Davalillo struggle in Double-A, but his xFIP did rise to 3.56.

The crafty righty also maintained high strikeout numbers at both of his stops last year, striking out 34.0% of opponents at High-A and 25.7% of opponents at Double-A. Davalillo’s strikeout ability stems from his advanced arsenal, which is headlined by two 60-grade offerings: his splitter and sweeper. He supplements his best offerings with a 50-grade cutter and curveball, and a 45-grade four-seamer.

While he might not be MLB-ready quite yet, Davalillo has flashed all the signs of being a promising rotation piece for the Rangers. His bat missing profile offers realistic upside, with a mature arsenal that shows he can stick as a starter long term. If he can manage a strong start to the season, whether that be Double- or Triple-A, we could realistically see our No. 7 Rangers prospect in Texas by August.

RHP Emiliano Teodo – Rangers No. 10

Since making his professional debut back in 2021, Emiliano Teodo has made a name for himself as one of the hardest-throwing pitchers around, with his fastball routinely reaching triple digits. Up to this point, the 25-year-old’s journey hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing, but his upside potential is impossible to ignore.

In his last full season, Teodo excelled with a 1.89 ERA and 3.78 xFIP at Double-A. However, this past season, he totaled just 30.0 innings pitched, while spending significant time on the injured list with back and shoulder issues. In that limited time, split across Double- and Triple-A, Teodo managed a 7.20 ERA and walked 19.5% of opposing hitters.

Given his frequent command issues, Teodo transitioned to the bullpen full-time in 2025, where his arsenal projects more favorably. The hard-throwing righty attacks hitters with three above-average pitches: a 70-grade slider, a 60-grade fastball, and a 55-grade changeup. In addition to high fastball velocity, Teodo also throws his slider and changeup in the upper-80s.

If Teodo can hone in on his command issues, opposing hitters are bound to struggle against his devastating arsenal. As things currently stand, he projects more comfortably as a reliever in the long term, and could very well spend time in the Rangers’ major league bullpen this season.