Rangers Prospects in the Top 100

As you well know by now, Jonathan Mayo dropped his Top 100 Prospects for 2013, and Rangers’ rookie shortstop, Jurickson Profar, is the top rated prospect in the game of baseball. No surprise there, as Profar was also the top rated prospect in various other previous rankings.

Sep 19, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar (right) talks with first base coach Gary Pettis during batting practice before a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angels Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Total, the Rangers have accumulated 5 prospects in the top 100 (Jurickson Profar #1, Mike Olt #22, Cody Buckel #87, Jorge Alfaro #88, and Martín Pérez #95).

As expected, former standout LHP Martín Pérez has dropped considerably in rankings due to his continued regression during his ascension, but the jury is still out on the 21-year old, as Pérez is obviously very young and still has plenty of time to put it all together, if ever. Perhaps most important to Pérez is dropping his BB/9. If Pérez can successfully accomplish that, he is the Rangers’ strongest internal option for the #5 spot in the rotation to start the 2013 season.

Interestingly, Jorge Alfaro has cracked the Top 100. Alfaro is a 19-year old catching prospect whom, if he can reach his ceiling, projects to be an front-line MLB catcher, something that is becoming more and more of a rare commodity within the game of baseball. 2013 will be a big year for Alfaro, as this season could be the one in which Alfaro’s incredibly raw toolset begins attaining refinement, or the other way around. Only time will tell, but Alfaro is incredibly important to the Rangers’ future, especially after considering that the minor league system lacks any potential difference-making catching prospects.

If Mayo’s Top 100 signifies anything, it is that the Rangers still possess one of the strongest farm systems in baseball. Aggressive international signings, together with unconventional drafting methods, has enriched the lower echelons of the minor league system, with names like Joey Gallo, Lewis Brinson, Nomar Mazara, Ronald Guzman and Jairo Beras.

The Rangers minor league system also gives a clear indication of the self-sustaining machine that Jon Daniels and the Front Office have envisioned for the team and its future.

Obviously, most prospects fizzle out and/or don’t reach their ceilings, but with a great quantity of quality prospects, the odds of developing future stars are much more likely. The Rangers know this, and have shown this knowledge with their preference to draft players who possess strong tools, and not necessarily the most projectable talent, as compared to conventional drafting methods.

2013 will be a big year for many of the Rangers prospects. It will be an interesting thing to watch who progresses onto 2014.