What Texas Rangers prospects can make MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 in 2021?

3B Sherten Apostel

Texas already has one third base prospect in the Pipeline Top 100 in Josh Jung, but Sherten Apostel could pass the Rangers’ top prospect in terms of upside. Originally joining the Rangers as the player to be named later in the trade that sent Keone Kela to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Apostel has climbed quickly through the prospect ranks and finished 2019 as the #10 prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline.

He spent 2019 split between Single-A and High-A playing 121 total games. He hit .251 with a combined .779 OPS and 19 home runs. Unlike Josh Jung, Apostel lacks polish and won’t feature above average tools across the board but his plus power and arm could help carry him. He could very well end up a 30-plus homer a year player in the big leagues which is almost a requirement these days to be a corner infielder. As of now, he is sticking at third base although there is a chance he moves over to first as he continues to move up the minor league ladder. In the ZiPS projections run by Dan Szymborski and published by FanGraphs, Apostel was already tabbed as a 20 home run player if he were in the big leagues today and projected as a replacement level player. Considering he still has yet to get to Double-A, that warrants note as it actually projects him above Ronald Guzman, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Jose Trevino and Jeff Mathis in terms of MLB value in 2020.

If Apostel can continue to unlock his power and show development defensively at third, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him climb quickly in Pipeline’s rankings. He should stick inside the Top 10 organizationally once those rankings release and could find himself knocking on the top five by seasons end.