Texas Rangers: Shortstop set to be as steady as always in 2020

Top Shortstop Prospects

In the minor league system, shortstop is a position that is teeming with young talent. Many of the top shortstop prospects are years away from being big league ready, but the talent pool is growing year-by-year with defensive wizards who project long-term at short.

Maximo Acosta: #16 in MLB Pipeline 2019 Top 30 Rangers’ Prospects

Acosta wasn’t the highest ranked shortstop in the Rangers organization at the end of the 2019 MLB Pipeline rankings but he should be come 2020 rankings. He’s shot up prospect charts nothing league wide and specific to the Rangers and is garnering more talk than Bayron Lora who signed in the same international period as Acosta and for far more money. He has plus tools defensively and at just 16, is already noted for his professional approach. It won’t take long for him to be considered one of the best prospects in the organization if he’s not considered one already.

Anderson Tejeda: #11 in MLB Pipeline 2019 Top 30 Rangers’ Prospects

Tejeda entered last year as a top five prospect in Texas’ organization per MLB Pipeline but dropped considerably as his bat continued to struggle at the High-A level. He has an elite arm and a good glove but will have to hit better to regain his status as a top prospect. MLB Pipeline gave him a Major League ETA of 2020 but considering he hasn’t hit Double-A yet, we’re looking at 2021 at the earliest. He’s got the talent but will have to improve at the plate or risk getting passed up by other prospects like Maximo Acosta.

Osleivis Basabe: #19 in MLB Pipeline 2019 Top 30 Rangers’ Prospects

Basabe, like Tejeda features an elite tool although for Basabe, it’s his speed. Basabe already projects as an elite basestealer with some of the best natural speed in the organization. The question now is whether he sticks at short or moves to center field where he can maximize that elite speed. He had a good 2019 season split between Rookie-League and Short-Season hitting for average. He’ll likely start the 2020 season with Spokane but could move quickly if he continues to hit.

Other Shortstop Prospects: Chris Seise (Hickory), Jonathan Ornelas (Hickory)