Texas Rangers Boast Quality Prospects Outside Baseball’s Highest Tier

The Texas Rangers’ wealth of young talent doesn’t just stop at the edge of the Top 100 rankings across the game.

Jul 13, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; American League Future pitcher Emiliano Teodo (15) throws during the first inning against the National League Future team during the Major league All-Star Futures game at Globe Life Field. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers are preparing to bear the fruit of their patience with pitcher Kumar Rocker.

The 2022 first-round pick, who missed more than a year recovering from Tommy John surgery, made his Major League debut late last season and is expected to challenge for a spot in the starting rotation in 2025.

For now, Rocker is the Rangers’ top prospect and was one of three prospects listed among the Top 100 in baseball when Baseball America released its rankings last week.

Along with Rocker, who was No. 20 overall, the Rangers had shortstop Sebastian Walcott at No. 21 and right-handed pitcher Alejandro Rosario at No. 49.

But the budding young talent doesn’t end there.

After Baseball America released its Top 100, the publication released another list — the prospects that received at least one vote as it was determining the list.

The Rangers had four prospects that received at least one vote — pitcher Emiliano Teodo, catcher Malcolm Moore, pitcher Winston Santos and shortstop Yolfran Castillo.

Teodo is one of the most intriguing prospects in the system. The 23-year-old Dominican Republic product broke through last season with Double-A Frisco, as he went 5-4 with a career-low 1.98 ERA in 20 games (19 starts). He struck out 100 and walked 50 and made the start for the American League in the MLB Futures Game.

He has the stuff to be a starter or be a high-leverage reliever. For now, the Rangers are working him as a starter and the hope is that he starts this campaign at Triple-A Round Rock.

Moore was the Rangers’ first-round pick last July out of Stanford. The 21-year-old got a cup of coffee at High-A Hickory and slashed .209/.298/.374/.672 in 25 games. He hit three home runs and had 12 RBI.

It’s possible he starts the season at Double-A Frisco and the Rangers don’t need him to accelerate his development as they have Jonah Heim under team control through 2026.

Santos is another Dominican Republic product with plenty of promise as a starter. The Rangers moved both he and Teodo to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft.

With Hickory and Frisco, Santos was 7-9 last season with a 3.67 ERA. He struck out 138 and walked 34 in 110.1 innings.

Castillo is from Venezuela and was part of the Rangers’ 2024 international signing class. He started last season in the Dominican Summer League and then moved to the Arizona Complex League. The 17-year-old slashed .377/.481/.415/.896 and, even though he didn’t hit a home run, drove in 26 runs.