Rangers Call Up Another Top-10 Prospect

A former 2018 international signee is now the latest infielder to make the move from Class-A Hickory to Double-A Frisco.

Texas Rangers prospect Luisangel Acuna became the second player in four days to be called up to Double-A Frisco.

The RoughRiders have an off-day on Monday. Acuna will likely make his on-field debut on Tuesday when Frisco starts a six-game home series with Amarillo.

Acuna is the No. 9 prospect in the Rangers system, per MLB.com. He follows No. 10 prospect Aaron Zavala, who was called up to the RoughRiders late last week and played in two games against Springfield.

Acuna is the brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. But he’s starting to carve out his own name as he moves up in the Rangers organization. He is also a middle infielder, and his progress to the Rangers may be stunted by the fact that the Rangers have heavily invested in second baseman Marcus Semien and shortstop Corey Seager.

He earned the promotion after batting .317/.417/.483/.900 with eight home runs and 29 RBI for Hickory this season. He has 28 stolen bases and has drawn 34 walks while striking out 60 times.

Acuna spent all of 2021 at Low Class-A Down East, where he batted .266/.345/.404/.749 with 12 home runs, 74 RBI and a career-high 44 stolen bases.

Like all of the Rangers’ prospects, he saw his 2020 season wiped out by the cancellation due to COVID-19. But he started his career with the Rangers in 2019 as part of the Arizona Complex League Rangers, where he batted .342/.438/.455/.893 with two home runs and 29 RBI.

The Rangers originally signed Acuna as a free agent on July 2, 2018, out of Caracas, Venezuela.

Meanwhile, Zavala is coming off a trip to Springfield where he went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and four runs scored in his second game with the Riders. He also walked three times in a 14-12 Frisco win.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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