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.