Could 2026 be the year Rangers' fans see Sebastian Walcott in the big leagues?

Rangers' fans were hoping that the organization would be more active this winter for many reasons. One of them is because their minor league pipeline isn't exactly rife with major league-ready talent.

Aside from shortstop Sebastian Walcott, one of the top prospects in the league, there is little in the way of relief on its way up should the Rangers struggle again on offense or suffer a rash of long-term injuries.

Still, management has been fast-tracking Walcott, who will turn 20 in March, through the system with the hope that he will be ready to contribute at the big league level sooner rather than later.

Walcott still needs some polishing but his raw talent is undeniable, which has everyone wondering if 2026 will be the year that the club decides to introduce their crown jewel for his first taste of MLB action.

Walcott's trajectory suggests that he could make his big league debut this season

After a brief stint at Single-A Hickory at just 17 years old, Walcott proved immediately that he needed to be moved up to Double-A Frisco to face the type of challenge that would help him improve both as a hitter and defensively.

Two years later, Walcott has consistently demonstrated the ability to compete with, and often outmatch, older and more experienced players. Walcott is an athletic freak who, at six-foot-four and 190 pounds, plays a plus-shortstop, has electric, raw power at the plate and runs the bases like a gazelle.

Last season at Frisco, he mashed 13 homers while driving in 59 run and 32 stolen bases. Maybe the most promising improvement was his plate discipline, walking 70 times while striking out just 108 times in 554 at-bats.

Rangers don't want to rush their future star

The next stop for him is clearly going to be Arlington and Globe Life Field. The only question is when will Chris Young and manager Skip Schumaker be comfortable making the move.

With Corey Seager manning the shortstop position for the foreseeable future, there shouldn't be a need to rush the young star. However, at some point the organization will have to make a decision regarding where Walcott will play once they do pull he trigger and call him up.

If the Rangers want to give Walcott a shot this season, he could make the move over to third, or he could play short if Seager lands on the IL for an extended period like he has the last few seasons.

It's a good quandary to have with too much talent for one position, but with Walcott being the only real minor league positional player poised to meaningfully contribute this season, he needs to be handled with kid gloves as he represents the future of the Rangers.