Texas Rangers Prospects: Tekoah Roby is lighting it up at fall instructs

All the hype around here with respect to Texas Rangers pitching prospects goes to Cole Winn, Jack Leiter and more recently, Ricky Vanasco. And all of those young studs deserve that hype.

But why not add another name to that list: RHP Tekoah Roby.

Roby, 20, is the Rangers’ 25th-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. That ranking doesn’t do justice to his potential, however.

After posting a 2.45 ERA in six pro starts in 2021, Roby suffered an elbow sprain in June which would sideline him the rest of the season. That injury curtailed what was otherwise a promising start to his professional career, as Roby was drafted in the third round in 2020 out of high school.

So much for significant injuries though, because the 20-year-old recently fired an immaculate inning at Texas Rangers fall instructs.

Tekoah Roby should be on the radar of those keeping tabs on the Texas Rangers prospects

It’s a remarkable turnaround for Roby, who was thought to be done pitching in 2021 after the elbow sprain. Instead, he’s casually throwing immaculate innings in fall ball. No big deal.

MLB Pipeline grades Roby with above average fastball and curveball offerings, as well as an emerging changeup. The scouting reports peg him as a potential middle of the rotation starter down the road.

At Low-A Down East prior to injury, Roby had a whopping 14.3 K/9 figure, attesting to his stuff and control. When it comes down to it, the 20-year-old has as much raw potential as any of the pitchers ranked ahead of him in the system. Throwing an immaculate inning will certainly open your eyes to that proposition.

It’s likely that Roby’s elbow scare will incentivize the Texas Rangers to take their time with his development. He’s one of the more tantalizing assets in the farm system and if they want Roby to reach that mid-rotation starter ceiling one day, a careful approach wouldn’t be the worst thing to employ.

In other words, don’t expect to see Roby before 2024. But feel free to get excited watching him dominate the 2021 fall instructs as he continues coming back from an injury that nearly robbed us of seeing this performance.