Inside The Rangers' Prospect Watch: No. 9 Maximo Acosta

Inside The Rangers on SI continues our Prospect Watch preseason rankings with our #9 prospect Maximo Acosta.

9. Maximo Acosta | SS

Born: October 29, 2002
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6'1" Weight: 170
Drafted: Signed in 2019, Venezuela
Team: N/A
Other Team Rankings: Baseball America (5), MLB Pipeline (N/A)

Career Statistics

Maximo Acosta has not made his professional debut yet.

Player Bio

Acosta was signed out of Roberto Vahlis' program in Venezuela. His $1.65 million signing bonus doesn't quite match Bayron Lora's $3.9 million, but Acosta is quickly turning a lot of heads since signing with the Rangers in 2019. 

Strengths

Acosta is only 17 years old, but he already has no gaping holes in his skill set. He's a well-rounded player that has multiple plus-tools. His development has impressed multiple scouts, including some on Baseball America to compare him to the Yankees' Gleyber Torres. Needless to say, he has a very high ceiling. 

He has a quick and compact stroke and repeats it quite well. There aren't a lot of moving parts in his swing, which helps him consistently barrel the ball well. He stays inside the ball and can spray the ball across the whole field. It's a very fluid swing, giving him the ability to control the strike zone and make adjustments.

There isn't a ton of power yet, but he can hit the gaps. Power can develop later on as his body matures. Because of his natural hitting ability, he could eventually develop enough power to be a very dangerous threat at the plate. 

He is very fundamentally sound defensively, specifically in his footwork, to go along with plus speed and and plus arm. He makes good decisions and doesn't take too long to make them. He's athletic, which aids him with his range at the shortstop position. 

Weaknesses

He has a larger-than-normal lower half than most shortstops, which could prevent him from becoming an elite defender. While he has the tools to be very sound defensively, his ceiling appears to be limited at what he can do physically at shortstop. 

He has a good amount of speed, but needs to develop on the baselines. He may never become a prominent base-stealer, but could become a better baserunner through physical and mental development. 

If his power never fully develops, his ceiling as a hitter could be limited. He already has potential to be a very solid hitter and developing power could make him a very dangerous hitter. 

With having a very high ceiling, how well he develops is crucial. He has loads of potential, but has a few issues to focus on to make him a potentially great player in the future.

Future

Acosta has yet to make his professional debut, but is advanced well enough to likely change that in 2020. The most likely destination for him is in the Rookie-level Arizona League. 

Read our scouting report on our #10 prospect, Sherten Apostel. 

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