2 reasons why Rangers farm system might be better than the rankings indicate, 1 reason why it's not

The common opinion of the Texas Rangers farm system is that it is held up by two premium talents in Sebastian Walcott and Caden Scarborough, without much depth to speak of beyond those two blue-chippers. It would seem that trades like the MacKenzie Gore deal that sent five prospects ranked in the club's top 30 would have not only confirmed that assumption, but also been the death knell to the pipeline's depth.

There's no doubt that losing so many talented youngsters, a recurring theme in recent years, hurt. The rankings reflect that. MLB Pipeline ranked the Rangers' system at No. 20, which was a small jump from Texas's preseason ranking of 25th. Meanwhile, Baseball America (subscription required) gave the farm a C- grade for its performance in 2026. That more or less tracks with the consensus view of the current crop of minor leaguers.

There's a case to be made, though, that we're actually selling the Rangers short. For a few reasons, the farm might be better than we think, though there is also one big obstacle that is holding the unit back.

The Rangers saw breakouts from several key prospects in 2026

One could argue that the MLB Pipeline ranking that came out in August following the trade deadline doesn't accurately assess what went down on Texas's farm by the time the respective minor league seasons came to a close in September. We saw several players who had gotten off to disappointing starts to their pro careers break out in a big way.

Take Dylan Dreiling as a prime example. The 2024 second-round pick hit just .198/.340/.279 over 24 games in Hub City following his selection. He followed that up with a .226/.319/.381 line in 2025 while repeating Hi-A. However, in 2026 the Rangers got aggressive and assigned him to Frisco, where he hit .312/.380/.516 with 22 homers and 14 steals. He was good from start to finish this year, but things really got rolling when he posted a 25-game hitting streak that mostly occurred after midseason rankings were finalized.

Dreiing wasn't alone, though. Rafe Perich went from slashing .231/.347/.330 with six dingers in 2025 to hitting .315/.401/.586 with 27 big flies en route to being named Rangers Prospect of the Year by MLB Pipeline. 19-year-old Yolfran Castillo was known for having a slick glove at short, but hit just .258/.315/.352 between the Arizona Complex League and Hickory last year. This year, he showed he can really make contact and draw walks, posting a .288/.390/.416 line with eight homers and 55 stolen bases. Cam Cauley also took a leap from 2025 to 2026 and found himself getting some major league run.

These gains are significant and could help raise the system's profile once the evaluators have had the time to watch the tape and truly let these breakouts marinate in their minds.

The Rangers 2026 draft class was full of floor raisers with high ceilings

Texas made out very well in the draft, and while that's partially reflected in the midseason rankings, we've yet to see most of these prospects take the field. The headliner is Gio Rojas, a teenage lefty who's already touching the high-90s. Connor Comeau has starter potential, likely at third base, and while he's a huge gamble (no pun intended), six-foot-nine Brody Bumila has the potential to dominate once he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Fourth-rounder Hudson Calhoun could be a fast riser as a relief prospect, and fifth-round pick Michael Anderson is the third two-way player to come into the Rangers' system, joining Josh Owens and Seong-Jun Kim, the latter of whom was particularly impressive in albeit limited action this year.

For many of these guys, we are years away from seeing them pay any real dividends, but the talent is real, and that's what matters when it comes to the perception of the farm.

Numerous Rangers pitchers taking a step back in the upper levels is worrisome

Of course, it can't be all sunshine and rainbows. This is Texas baseball we're talking about, and with the ups come the downs. That's especially true for a certain crop of hurlers, and it's a cohort that is only gaining in importance. We're talking about the hurlers who, theoretically, should be the most big-league-ready, yet took a tumble in the rankings this year.

David Davalillo finally made it to Round Rock, but after a 2.73 ERA in 2025, he posted a 4.59 mark in 2026, got yo-yo'd between levels, and really struggled against Triple-A competition. Winston Santos was even worse, struggling for the second straight season and posting a 6.80 ERA. Jose Corniell saw his ERA balloon from 1.89 in 2025 to 6.37 this year, while spending most of his time in Triple-A. Then you have Emiliano Teodo, who finished with a respectable 3.73 mark, but still can't consistently throw strikes.

Many of these guys got brief looks in the majors this season, though none stood out over their small sample size of opportunities.

What's more concerning is the fact that the Rangers need them. The bullpen has holes, and the budget likely isn't enough to make multiple impact free-agent signings to improve it. Then there's the fact that the 2028 starting rotation could have up to three vacancies. There is still time for this group to straighten things out, but as of now, you can't project any of them as a potential solution for that looming problem.

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