Texas Rangers Top 25 Prospects: 6-10

The Texas Rangers look to build from within in the years to come and these players will be the future for Texas.

The Texas Rangers have a reputation for putting out good MLB players from their minor league system. These are some of the top players Texas has in the farm system as we approach 2016.

6. Andy Ibanez/2B/Age: 22/Projected Debut: 2018

Ibanez comes to the Rangers from Cuba when he signed with Texas for $1.8 million, a price that many experts consider a steal for a player of his quality. In his final season with the Cuban National Series, Ibanez hit .267/377/.435. Ibanez also won a gold glove in his time in Cuba and has shown line drive power. There still isn’t much known about Ibanez and he doesn’t show amazing pure tools but he is a good line drive hitter with a mature approach at the plate.

7. Michael Matuella/RHP/Age: 21/Projected Debut: 2018

Michael Matuella comes to Texas from Duke when he was drafted in the third round of the 2015 draft. Matuella didn’t play for Texas in 2015 after having Tommy John surgery in April. His health concerns caused him to drop in draft stock going from a likely first round pick to the third round. When he his healthy however, Matuella shows the ability to possibly be a number one pitcher in a rotation with a mid-90s fastball and a solid curveball and slider. At 6’6”, Matuella has a difficult angle on his pitch release that can cause issues for batters. He’s still a couple of years away from being major league ready and he needs to work on his stamina/health, but he could end up being one of the best prospects Texas produces.

8. Eric Jenkins/OF/Age; 19/Projected Debut: 2019

Jenkins was signed by the Rangers after being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2015 draft. He’s an outfielder with blazing speed, running a 6.32 second 60-yard dash. However beyond his pure speed, Jenkins also shows some future potential as a double digit homerun hitter with his decent pull power ability. Jenkins hit a combined .262 between Arizona League and Single-A last season with 28 stolen bases. At only 19 years old, Jenkins still has a lot of development left physically which is where a lot of the expectations for him come from. In the next couple of years, Jenkins will make his case for becoming one of the top prospects in the Texas system and possibly a future star in the MLB.\

9. Ariel Jurado/RHP/Age: 20/Projected Debut: 2018

The Texas Rangers signed Ariel Jurado in December of 2012. He was a fairly small signing with no overly huge expectations however his impressive start in Low-A ball, winning 17 of his first 18 decisions has brought his potential to light. His 89-91 MPH sinker and changeup provide a solid approach on the mound that doesn’t overpower hitters but is hard to hit. With a 2.45 ERA and 12-1 record last season in Hickory, many think that Jurado could be one of the top pitching prospects Texas has currently and expectations for him in the future seem to be high. Some see him as a back end of the rotation player once he reaches the big leagues.

10. Josh Morgan/INF/Age: 20/Projected Debut: 2018

Texas drafted Morgan in the 3rd round of the 2014 draft out of high school. Morgan came into the Ranger system as a shortstop although many see his future more at second base or third base. In his pro debut, Morgan hit .322 and made it to short season Northwest League. Morgan spent his first full season with Single-A Hickory where he hit .288 with 36 RBI and 9 stolen bases. Scouts believe that Morgan could become a threat on the base paths in the future once he develops his runner’s instinct. Morgan still needs a couple of years of development before he gets up with the Texas Rangers but he seems to be on of the most promising players Texas has in its’ system.

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