Texas Rangers: 2 prospects who should be taken in September roster expansion

1. Curtis Terry

Curtis Terry already had a big league stint with the Texas Rangers in 2021, but he should have another.

Curtis Terry can rake. He will rake. I summon the raking.

Terry was recently designated back down to Round Rock to give Leody Taveras a spot on the Rangers roster, after a 4-for-45 stint in the majors to begin his pro career. A September call-up for Terry gives him a few weeks to finesse his swing in the pros, something I think he needs right now. It gives him a chance to establish areas to work on in the offseason so he can be a solidified candidate for youth contribution in Arlington in 2022.

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He may not be prepared for the show just yet, but he’s been magnificent at the plate for AAA Round Rock this year, slashing .289/.366/.560 with a .926 OPS as of August 29. He strikes out a fair bit – he has a bad strikeout rate at 25.2% this year in AAA ball, and a significantly worse one in Texas at 31.3%.

We’ve had the discourse ad nauseum about why strikeout rate is not a detriment to players like it used to be, but Terry getting more AB’s for the final month of the season can help him see the ball better and become more accustomed to reacting to major league pitching. He’s a consistently good BABIP hitter, especially for a slugger, and of the pitches he has hit into play at the MLB level so far, only 26.7% were grounders, which is, again, very reassuring for a power hitter.

I have to be adamant in saying that I want Taveras to succeed, but he has in absolutely no way, shape, or form proven that he can swing the bat at the major league level, and he’s had a larger sample size than Terry. Not that they play the same position or prevent each other from progressing, but Leody still *needs* time in the minors to get some offense figured out.

Maybe they can both be stars at Globe Life Park someday and we can wear shirts that say Taverry on them. Maybe. Until then, Curtis should get the nod.

2. Sherten Apostel

It’s time for the Texas Rangers to give Sherten Apostel another chance

The 22-year-old corner infielder out of Curaçao came to Texas by way of Pittsburgh in the 2018 Keone Kela trade. Sherten Apostel saw limited playing time in the shortened 2020 season, plating two hits in 20 at bats and striking out nine times. He has seen action in the Arizona Cactus League, Frisco, and Round Rock all in 2021 alone, getting most of his service in as a RoughRider in AA ball where he slashed .236/.317/.419.

Realistically, I don’t think the Rangers *will* give him a chance this year, because of older, more developed players being ahead in line, as well as the fact that they have to maneuver the COVID-19 protocol list that currently holds guys like Foltynewicz and Holt. However, I believe there is massive upside to taking the risk on Sherten and calling him up on Wednesday.

Here’s the thing: Josh Jung is ahead of the race between himself and Apostel. Apostel checks in at 6’4″ and 235 lbs, giving him a physical advantage over a myriad of players his age, and manager Chris Woodward believes Apostel and Jung are very close in terms of offensive capabilities. That may be true, but Jung has been hotter in recent memory both at the plate and with the glove. The Rangers have their eyes set on both of them as key pieces of a possible future infield.

Jung and Apostel are both brand spanking new to AAA baseball, and I believe there is a significantly lower risk in letting Jung steadily produce like he has been, while giving Apostel a promising yet reduced sample size of major league service time.

Josh Jung is going to be a Texas Ranger very soon. We know this. He slashed .308/.366/.544 with a .910 OPS in Frisco this year and has fine-tuned a fantastic glove at third base. By giving Apostel the promotion first, the Rangers can evaluate his inconsistencies and what the finishing touches are for him as a prospect, as they clear a way for Jung to be an immediate investment in 2022.

Apostel saw nearly 4 pitches per plate appearance while in Frisco this year, which is promising plate discipline for a young prospect. The Rangers already have an infielder as well who he can follow the mold of; Isiah Kiner-Falefa is one of if not the best defensive infielder in all of baseball, and Apostel has an amazing arm – one that almost got him signed as a pitching prospect in his teenage years.

He may only be listed as the organization’s 20th highest rated prospect, but I believe he should be given the green light to get MLB service time early on based on his track record so far. He screams diamond in the rough to me as a guy who could be an infield catalyst next to IKF, who is only four years older yet viewed by the team as a clubhouse leader.

All in all, Apostel and Terry are two players who can massively benefit from a month of regular MLB service. The Rangers are in a very fortunate position, for the first time in a very, very long time, where they can be selective about which young guys to give looks to and which to keep developing in the minors. The risk has decreased while the potential reward has increased. I’m very intrigued to see what they do with these two roster spots and how September could be a magnifying glass into the future of Rangers baseball.