Texas Rangers: 4 Prospects that should have already been promoted

Texas Rangers prospect Alex Speas

Speas is another player who has been in the Rangers system for quite some time now. He was a 2016 second round pick. He has an overpowering 101mph fastball and combines that with a sharp 90mph slider. He dealt with control issues for a period of time and even stepped away from the game in 2021. He ended up sitting out the 2022 season, but came back in February of this year and is pitching at a higher level than at any other point in his career. The case for Speas is three-fold. He is pitching better than any other reliever in the Rangers system, the Rangers bullpen does need the help, and he is Rule 5 eligible after the season and so needs to be added to the 40-man roster by December.

Speas is coming off a month of May where he allowed two runs in nine innings and struck out 16 and walked four. He has followed that up by making two appearances last week where he threw three innings and struck out 6 and walked none. He has only allowed two runs all season and that was in the same game. He is just absolutely dominating Double-A hitters right now. He is 25 years old and so by any metric that the Rangers could use he is deserving of a promotion to Round Rock.

The Rangers bullpen could use his help. There is no one in the bullpen currently with the kind of stuff that Speas has. The sooner they get Speas to Triple-A and have him prove himself at Round Rock the sooner they will call him up to Arlington. I hope that there is news this week that comes out about Speas being moved to Round Rock. I think he can do at Round Rock what he has been doing at Frisco.

Finally the Rule 5 draft is a legitimate consideration. Speas will be taken in the Rule 5 draft if not protected. The Rangers survived not protecting Speas in 2020. He has performed much better this season and would absolutely be picked by another organization. The Rangers will have to add him to the 40-man roster by December. They likely will make that move at some point in-season so that they can get a look at him in a Rangers uniform.

Speas has earned it, the Rangers need him, and they will not want to lose him. This is one that I would be shocked by if he starts out this week with Frisco. There is nothing more to be gained by having him strike out Double-A hitters. He needs to be in a Round Rock uniform this week.