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Texas Rangers: 4 prospects land on Baseball Prospectus’ 2021 top 101 list

By Seth Carlson |
Sep 24, 2020; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Leody Taveras (65) makes a fielding error during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2020; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Leody Taveras (65) makes a fielding error during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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The Texas Rangers‘ farm system is way better than you might think.

While a lot of their talent lies in the lower levels of their minor league development program, the Rangers also have some young star power that is either close to or already in the big leagues.

And the three major prospect ranking sites all have differing perspectives on which players those are.

Recently, Baseball America released their top 100 prospects for 2021, with Josh Jung being the lone Texas Rangers representative on that list.

Surprising? Yes. Concerning? No, because of the reasons mentioned above.

Luckily, however, Baseball Prospectus came to save the day for the upper echelon of the Texas Rangers’ farm system, ranking four of their prospects within the top 101.

Want to know who they are and how they placed on the list? Let’s dive in.

Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 26: Texas Rangers’ OF Leody Taveras

It’s definitely surprising to see this name ranked the highest among all the Rangers who made this list.

Regardless, Leody Taveras is one heck of a player, and deserves the recognition he got from Baseball Prospectus this year.

From highlight-reel catches to blazing speed and athleticism, Taveras has the makings of a franchise-caliber starting center fielder.

While the bat has been slow to come around, 2020 was a rather strange season for many players.

Not to mention, Taveras made his MLB debut in 2020. Therefore, it wouldn’t be fair to judge the 22 year old’s .703 OPS in just 119 big league at-bats.

For what it’s worth, though, the average OPS in MLB is roughly .750. With Taveras’ all-around potential, who’s to say he can’t reach that plateau or more.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

No. 56: Texas Rangers’ 3B Josh Jung

No argument from us here, as third baseman Josh Jung deserves to make an appearance on every prospect list in 2021.

Baseball Prospectus ranks Jung as the 56th-best prospect in all of baseball and as the Rangers’ second best prospect, behind Leody Taveras.

While the latter is certainly surprising, Jung has the potential to be the player the Texas Rangers anticipated he would be when they made him a first round draft pick out of Texas Tech in 2019.

Jung has the all around tools to become a well-rounded athlete who can pick it with the glove and hit for power and average.

The former Red Raider has also been a fast riser through Texas’ system, reaching Double-A Frisco in his last professional season.

Jung will likely begin there again to start 2021 as he continues his quick ascent to the big leagues, where a third base spot is his for the taking.

Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 60: Texas Rangers’ RHP Dane Dunning

Ranked just four spots below Josh Jung in Baseball Prospectus’ 2021 rankings, righty Dane Dunning is expected to become a major factor in the Texas Rangers’ starting rotation this season.

Acquired in the Lance Lynn trade with the Chicago White Sox, along with LHP Avery Weems, Dunning comes to the Rangers as a highly rated player.

The 26 year-old also comes with some big league experience already in tow, having pitched 34 big league innings across seven starts in 2020 with Chicago, racking up a 3.34 ERA and 35 strikeouts in that span.

Dunning also comes to the Rangers pretty well-traveled, having been traded from the Washington Nationals to the White Sox originally, in a deal that sent OF Adam Eaton to the nation’s capital.

The young righty will almost certainly relinquish his prospect status in 2021, as he looks to start the season in Texas’ middling rotation.

He might even be the ace of the staff this year, not to add any pressure or anything…

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 98: Texas Rangers’ C Sam Huff

Backstop Sam Huff cracks the back-end of Baseball Prospectus’ long list, but that’s not for shame.

Sam Huff is as exciting a catching prospect as anyone could have, and certainly the most anticipated one the Rangers have had since Pudge Rodriguez.

The latter is, of course, a Hall of Famer, so again, no pressure…

Huff is definitely someone who can handle those expectations though, at least based on his talent.

The 23-year-old burst onto the scene in 2020 with a 1.136 OPS and three home runs over 31 at-bats.

And that was merely a taste of what Huff can bring to the table when he’s got it all going.

The sky is the limit for the young receptor, but first he’ll have to try and win the starting job away from veteran Jose Trevino.

Unless, of course, Huff begins the year in Triple-A for further development, which is a possibility.

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