Texas Rangers Prospects: Offseason Rankings #6-10

We’re finally in the top ten prospects for the Texas Rangers. These players could be significant pieces for the organization for the future.

In the upper part of the top ten, the Texas Rangers have a combination of both older prospects, as well as young ones with bright futures.

#10 Joe Palumbo LHP

Palumbo, 25, had a terrific season in the minor leagues for the Texas Rangers in 2019. But when he was called up, it was mostly a struggle for the lefty. Across seven games (four starts), he posted a 9.18 ERA. He has an above average curveball, which pairs nicely with an average fastball and changeup. Palumbo will likely be second or third on the Rangers list of players to call up for an additional arm that can eat innings, or potentially a spot start or two due to injuries.

Outlook: 2020 likely won’t see Palumbo be a regular starter for the Rangers, but he could possibly join the bullpen this season, but 2021 is really when he will likely find himself as a regular in the rotation.

#9 Brock Burke LHP

Burke, 23, had a similar season to that of Palumbo. He didn’t quite dominate like Palumbo did in the minors, but he was solid. Once he reached the majors, he really struggled to find his footing, as he posted a 7.43 ERA across six starts. Burke has an above average fastball and slider, and he will likely be sent to the minors to start 2020. He will probably be one of the top two players that the Texas Rangers call up if they find themselves needing starting help, similarly to Palumbo.

Outlook: Brock Burke’s situation in 2020 is pretty identical to that of Joe Palumbo, as the two will likely start 2020 together, and could be competing with Kolby Allard for the order of who gets called-up in 2020.

#8 Bayron Lora OF

Lora was 16 when he signed with the Texas Rangers during the 2019 season, and did not play for one of their affiliates during the season. The 17 year-old has a build similar to that of Joey Gallo, and he seems to have Gallo comparisons at the plate as well with his raw power, and possible swing-and-miss issues.

Outlook: Lora will be another fun prospect to keep an eye on as Rangers fans will get to watch him grow, and hopefully team up with Joey Gallo maybe by 2024.

#7 Nick Solak INF/OF

Solak, 25, was acquired by the Rangers for Peter Fairbanks midway through the 2019 season, and he dominated in 30 games at Triple-A Nashville for Texas, prompting them to call him up. His bat, as everyone witnessed in 2019, is terrific, and he looks like he could potentially be the second coming of Michael Young for the team, as he has the versatility to play seemingly anywhere. In 33 games for Texas in 2019, he hit .293 with five home runs.

Outlook: Solak looks like he will have a similar role to what Jurickson Profar had for the Rangers in 2018, as he should be able to fill in anywhere for anyone with the current roster that the Rangers have assembled, and he should be another fun player to watch in 2020.

#6 Sherten Apostel INF

After the Keone Kela trade that the Texas Rangers made in 2018, it seemed like Apostel, 20, was just the throw in, as he was just the player to be named later part of the trade. Well, as it turns out, he has skyrocketed through the Rangers prospect rankings, and made his way to High-A by the end of 2019. Possessing above average power to go with an above average arm, he seems like he will eventually become a very good power hitting third baseman for the Rangers in the future.

Outlook: Apostel still needs to work on hitting a little more consistently, and if he does, he could find his way into the majors as soon as 2022.