Four Fire-Throwing Texas Rangers Prospects Among 90 Who Hit Triple Digits In 2024

The Texas Rangers had four pitching prospects who developed blazing speed in the minor leagues this season.

Sep 19, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Globe Life Field. / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers have been attempting to lean more into pitching development in its farm system, with an emphasis on velocity.

So there’s good news. The Rangers have four prospects with top-end velocity, two of which have already pitched in a Major League game.

Baseball America compiled a list of all the minor-league pitchers who hit 100 mph or higher with a pitch this season. The site eliminated any pitchers who graduated from its prospect rankings, leaving Texas with four of the 90 on the list.

Two of them — Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter — have already pitched Major League games but don’t have the service time to graduate from their rankings.

Neither threw the fastest pitch in the system in 2024, however. That honor belongs to Emiliano Teodo, a right-hander who threw a two-seam fastball 101.7 mph.

Kumar Rocker explains the difference between his slider & what he considers his curve.
Statcast has been reading both as sliders.
They're two different pitches and have different breaks. The curve comes straight and dives down as it hits the plate. pic.twitter.com/B6ygKZfZiP

— Stefan Stevenson (@StefanVersusTex) September 18, 2024

Teodo signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2020. He pitched for the American League in the MLB Futures Game, held the Saturday before the All-Star Game at Globe Life Field. He was named the starter.

The right-hander spent all season with Double-A Frisco and went 5-4 with a 1.98 ERA in 20 starts. He struck out 110 and walked 50 in 86.1 innings. He appears poised to earn a promotion to Triple-A Round Rock in 2025.

Rocker spent half of the season ramping up from his Tommy John recovery and turned heads with a rapid rise through the system before making his MLB debut in September. He threw a 100.3 mph four-seam fastball in the minors.

He pitched in 10 minor league games and has an 0-1 record with a 1.96 ERA in 36.2 innings. That includes 55 strikeouts and five walks while batters are hitting .180 against him.

Rocker was 0-2 with a 3.68 ERA in three MLB starts and had 14 strikeouts and six walks in 11 2/3 innings.

Leiter threw a 100.1 mph four-seam fastball with Round Rock and was named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year. He went 6-4 with a 3.51 ERA in 17 games (16 starts). He struck out 110 and walked 35 in 77 innings, giving up just 30 earned runs. He led the PCL with 12.86 strikeouts per nine innings.

Leiter made his MLB debut in April and went 0-3 with an 8.83 ERA in nine games, with 31 strikeouts and 17 walks in 35 2/3 innings.

Last was Skylar Hales, a right-hander who threw a four-seam fastball 100 mph. He ended his season at Frisco and went 4-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 44 relief appearances, with 10 saves in 11 chances and eight holds. He struck out 66 and walked 17 in 56.2 innings. The Santa Clara product is pitching in the Arizona Fall League.

Jack Leiter on his 3.1 scoreless innings of relief pic.twitter.com/RJLWXY85KM

— Stefan Stevenson (@StefanVersusTex) September 26, 2024