Texas Rangers acquire much-needed outfield depth with two international signings

Texas Rangers fans, rejoice! We finally have baseball news to report.

With the international signing period open, the Rangers made sure to take advantage of the opportunity to land premier overseas talent, as they’ve been adept at doing over the years.

According to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez, Texas signed No. 6 ranked OF Anthony Gutierrez and No. 27 ranked OF Jose De Jesus.

Texas Rangers made a splash during the 2022 international signing period

Gutierrez, 17, hails from Venezuela, while De Jesus, also 17, hails from the Dominican Republic.

Here are Jesse Sanchez’ brief scouting reports on each player:

"“Gutierrez can play center field and has a solid arm, but could eventually move to a corner outfield position because of his growing frame. At the plate, he has a compact and repeatable swing with a knack for barreling up the ball. He shows right-center-field power now and the potential to be a plus runner. He’s considered one of the best hitters in the class.De Jesus shows good swing mechanics from both sides of the plate and emerging power, especially from the right side. He consistently makes hard contact and is improving his ability to recognize pitches. Overall, he has a good feel for the strike zone and a solid approach at the plate.”"

Gutierrez is reported to flash the same kind of talent as Rafael Devers and Eloy Jimenez, while De Jesus has drawn comparisons to Carlos Beltran. Pretty, pretty good.

Of course, at just 17 years of age, both players have a long way to go to meet their potential. But the Texas Rangers desperately needed to bolster their minor league stable of outfielders, and accomplished that with these signings.

Gutierrez and De Jesus will join fellow international OF prospects Yeison Morrobel and Bayron Lora in the Rangers’ system, along with SS Maximo Acosta and 2B Luisangel Acuna. All in all, that’s a pretty strong group of international signees.