Baby Beltre fits nicely into the Texas Rangers’ long term plans

Adrian Beltre has cemented himself as a Texas Rangers great. What do you think of his son, 15-year old Adrian Jr., being next?

For many fans who arrived to Globe Life Park early from 2011-2018, you may remember the Texas Rangers warming up in the outfield grass.

Some running, some throwing long toss and others playing with their children.

Shin-Soo Choo, Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre could all be seen running around, throwing batting practice to some of their youngsters on a hot summer day in Arlington.

They are some talented kids, understandably so, being that their parents are all big league All-Stars. But one always stood out among the rest: Adrian Jr.

Adrian Beltre Jr. could follow in his father’s footsteps if the Texas Rangers come calling

Man, it’s hard to believe he’s already 15-years old. Time flies when you’re having fun, I reckon.

But walking down memory lane isn’t what we’re here for. The Texas Rangers are looking into the future and what’s to come.

What may be coming next is the apparent heir to a Rangers legend that could eventually get his father’s number off of the red brick archways in Globe Life Field.

We’ve seen superstars like Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and many more come from some of the greatest big leaguers to step foot on the diamond. Yes, they are all premiere talents.

We noted Pablo Guerrero, Vladdy’s other son, as a potential fit for the Texas Rangers. So, why not dream big. Why not dream loud. Why don’t the Texas Rangers bring in two Hall of Famer’s children at one time?

Some may ask “what’s all the hype about for a 15-year old kid?” Well, let me show you.

I recommend watching the whole video, because you may see something very familiar around the 30 second mark.

Need a reminder? Here’s a picture to help you out.

Now do you see it? Because, I do, and it gets the true blue, die hard Texas Ranger fan inside of me excited for what’s to come. The sheer physical comparison, the mechanics, are a spitting image of his father.

He’s got a short, balanced swing. He’s quick to the ball, and the older and more physically mature he gets, the more power that will generate.

Here’s my father-son Beltre checklist, if you will:

He’s being graded as an above-average fielder. Check.

Good, quick arm action. Check.

Good bat speed. Check.

Lightning fast reflexes. Check.

Hmm. Sounds a lot like the senior Beltre to me. Doesn’t it to you?

Alright, alright, alright. I know, it’s way too early to judge how good Adrian Jr. is really going to be, but the potential and skillset is definitely there.

He attends La Salle High School in Pasadena, California, where he is listed as an infielder and a pitcher.

Hector Gomez was in attendance at one of his game, and sat perfectly where he could see everything down the third base line. Of course, if your name is Adrian Beltre anything, you’re playing the hot corner. And of course, if your name is Adrian Beltre… well, you get it… You’re making Gold Glove caliber plays. Check this out.

Showing off that natural quickness we saw in his father for many, many years. It’s pretty impressive how much raw talent this young man has at such an early age.

You may have noticed I mentioned that he is also listed as a pitcher a little while back, and I skimmed over that intentionally.

We’ve all witnessed the greatness that is Shohei Ohtani, the man hits 100mph on his heater and hits nukes. What else is there to love about baseball, and it’s all wrapped up in one guy?

Well, Adrian Jr. has a little bit of that in him, too.

Before I show you the video, though, I’m going to break down a little of what I see in him. I first want you to notice how balanced he is on the mound. He has a nice, easily repeatable delivery. Most young players all typically look the same mechanically on the mound, and he’s no exception, except for his violent follow through.

That follow through reminds me a lot of one Cardinals legend, that being Bob Gibson. Here’s a slow motion, multi-angle view of Gibson’s mechanics. Hone in on that follow through, though. He’s nice and controlled to start, and then, like a whip, let’s it fly and he’s falling off towards first base.

Pretty similar, right?

Secondly, take a look at the nasty breaker he snaps off in the second clip. It hangs on him a little bit, but man, for 15-years old that’s pretty dirty.

Do I also leave out that, from what I’ve gathered, that 86 mph is pretty true.

I leave it for you to decide, here’s the video.

Adrian Beltre Jr. could become the Texas Rangers’ version of Shohei Ohtani

I mean, come on, how much better can this kid get? A lot, hopefully.

It’s again a far off dream. He’s only 15, he’s not draft eligible until 2024 and their are 29 other teams looking at him, as well.

Do the Texas Rangers have what it takes to make a reunion happen? Possibly. At least they have a pretty good connection with someone in their family, if nothing else.

But imagine, you’re sitting in the air conditioned Globe Life Field. The Texas Rangers are back In contention, and as you put the finishing toppings on your hot dog, you look up and hear Chuck Morgan’s voice say: “Now batting for the Texas Rangers, #29 Adrian Beltre Junior!” The crowd will erupt, standing ovations everywhere and on the first pitch, AJ Beltre drops to a knee and gets his first big league knock.

Pretty surreal, right? Let’s hope they make it happen.