Jurickson Profar's career continues post-Rangers spiral with brutal blow before WBC

Utilityman Jurickson Profar, who mainly plays left field at this point in his career, was once the No. 1 prospect in baseball as a member of the Texas Rangers organization. He failed to live up to the hype after debuting as a 19-year-old with the Rangers, suffering numerous injuries and posting just 1.7 bWAR in 352 games with Texas from 2012 to 2018.

After spending time with the Oakland Athletics, the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies, Profar, 33, returned to the Padres in 2024 and posted 3.6 bWAR and a spectacular .280/.380/.459 (134 OPS+) slash line with 24 homers and 85 RBI, allowing the former Ranger to land a three-year, $42 million deal with the Atlanta Braves.

Unfortunately, it seems likely that Profar was able to revive his career due to an unethical reason. After the fourth game of the 2025 season, the former No. 1 prospect was suspended 80 games for human chorionic gonadotropin, which can lead to testosterone production. He went on to post a solid .245/.353/.434 (121 OPS+) slash line with 14 homers and 43 RBI in 80 games with Atlanta after returning in July.

After being suspended last year, Profar said in a statement that "it is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it."

It's hard not to take Profar's statement with a grain of salt, especially with recent news confirming he is facing yet another suspension.

Former Ranger Jurickson Profar facing 162-game suspension right before World Baseball Classic (WBC) begins

Profar is facing a 162-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug (PED), according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. He will lose his $15 million salary and won't be eligible for the postseason. Additionally, Profar will no longer compete in the WBC, where the former Ranger was slated to represent the Netherlands.

Losing Profar is a huge blow for the Netherlands. The nation has plenty of MLB talent, including Kenley Jansen, Ozzie Albies and Xander Bogaerts. Still, it isn't on the same level as star-studded teams like the United States, Japan, the Dominican Republic and others. Profar was supposed to be one of the country's biggest stars during the tournament.

Losing Profar is also a huge blow for the Atlanta Braves, who have already lost pitchers Hurston Wadrep and Spencer Schwellenbach to elbow injuries and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim to a finger injury for the beginning of the season.

It seemed the Rangers may have made a mistake by letting Profar go when the utilityman's career took off two seasons ago. But given the season-long suspension he's facing, it's safe to say that Texas is better off without its former No. 1 prospect.