Texas Rangers Rising Prospect Claims Arizona Fall League Award

One of the Texas Rangers’ fastest rising prospects claimed an award at the end of the Arizona Fall League season.

Apr 16, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Texas Rangers cap sits in dugout in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

It’s safe to say that the Arizona Fall League season for Texas Rangers hitting prospect Alejandro Osuna went well.

He was among the award winners when the AFL concluded regular-season play earlier this week.

Osuna was named the winner of the Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award, which is given to a player who best exemplifies unselfishness, hard work and leadership. It is named for a former baseball player who was killed in 2003 in Arizona during the AFL season.

Osuna was already on everyone’s radar when he arrived in Arizona, thanks to a terrific season that led to his selection as the Rangers minor league player of the year.

He only built on that in the AFL, where he was among the best hitters in the league.

He finished with a slash line of .306/.438/.449, leading the AFL in walks (22) and tied for second in hits (30), runs (25) and doubles (8). Like the rest of the Rangers prospects, he played for Surprise.

Osuna entered the AFL season as the Rangers’ No. 16 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline. That could change the closer Texas gets to the 2025 season.

After three solid seasons in the Rangers’ system the outfielder had a breakthrough season in 2024 with High-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco.

Combined he finished with a slash line of .292/.362/.507/.869 with a career-high 18 home runs and 61 RBI. MLB.com compared his profile as a player to that of New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo. He also had 17 steals.

Among Texas minor-league players with at least 300 at-bats, he led in slugging percentage and OPS. He also showed improvement at the plate after his promotion to Frisco on June 28, as he slashed .306/.379/.523/.902 with nine home runs and 32 RBI.

Osuna is probably at least a year away from helping the Rangers. But his quality numbers in the AFL almost assure he’ll get a non-roster invitation to Major League spring training and likely earned him a roster spot at Triple-A Round Rock in 2025.

The Rangers signed him for $125,000 out of Mexico in 2020. He was on the radar of other organizations, notably because he was younger brother of former All-Star closer Roberto Osuna and the nephew of ex-big leaguer Antonio Osuna.