Rangers News: Jake Burger's award, prospects of the year, analyst hints at big Sebastian Walcott leap

For the better part of the last month, the Texas Rangers have been in a holding pattern. After being eliminated in the regular season's final days, the club has sat at home in Arlington watching the MLB postseason unfold. Now that the Milwaukee Brewers have been crowned champions, things will start to pick up for Texas.

The lack of activity for the Rangers on the diamond hasn't meant that there hasn't been some news, though. There have still been some happenings recently in the Texas baseball world, and for a change, it's all good news. Let's dive in.

MLBPA names Rangers first baseman Jake Burger Philanthropist of the Year

One thing you have to give Jake Burger credit for is his affable nature. The hulking slugger lightened the mood during the heat of the playoff chase when he shaved his beard into a goatee, went on a homer rampage, and made it known that his wife would only allow the change in facial hair if he kept hitting dingers.

Burger is much more than a light-hearted goof, though. He has put in a lot of work off the field and in the community, starting the Burger Family Foundation in 2025. A non-profit charity run by Burger and his wife, Ashlyn, the organization's mission is to provide opportunities to individuals with Down Syndrome and support families with children with disabilities.

Burger has done a ton to raise money and, more importantly, awareness for the cause, including hosting "Down Syndrome Awareness Day" at Globe Life Field in both 2025 and 2026. As a result, he's been recognized by the MLBPA as the 2026 Philanthropist of the Year.

This is not the first time that Burger has been recognized for his charitable efforts, and it likely won't be his last. The 30-year-old is also the Rangers nominee for the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award as well. Good on you, Jake!

MLB Pipeline names Rafe Perich and Dalton Pence Rangers Prospects of the Year

Burger wasn't the only Ranger to win an award, as MLB Pipeline named Rafe Perich and Dalton Pence Rangers Prospects of the Year, representing the farm system's top-performing position player and pitching prospect.

For Perich, the 2026 campaign was a massive turnaround. The 2024 seventh-round pick had a rough go of it in 2025, posting a combined .231/.347/.331 line between Hickory and Hub City. He began 2026 by repeating Hi-A, but spent most of his year at Frisco. In total, he slashed .315/.401/.586 with 27 dingers.

For Pence, 2026 was a continuation of the promising start to his pro career. Picked in the 11th round of the 2024 draft, the southpaw recorded a 2.73 ERA over 82 1/3 innings between Hickory and Hub City in 2025. In 2026, he rose three levels, beginning in Hub City and finishing the year in Round Rock. In total, he logged 118 1/3 innings and posted a 2.51 ERA. He did see his strikeouts fall and his walks rise in Triple-A, but if he can rectify that in 2027, he'll soon be part of the Rangers' rotation.

These two aren't alone in their 2026 improvements, and both are emblematic of the resurgent nature of Texas's farm system.

Prospect analyst has a bold Sebastian Walcott take

We all know that Sebastian Walcott is good. The 20-year-old is a phenom with the potential to be an MLB superstar sooner rather than later. But just how good is he? Well, FanGraphs prospect guru Eric Longenhagen had some high praise for the young slugger.

"You can make an argument that Walcott is the best prospect in baseball; he’s going to have plus-plus power, hit enough to get to most of that power, and has a shot to play shortstop into his mid-20s," Longenhagen wrote in a recent piece about Arizona Fall League stars. "Brewers shortstop Jesús Made has a more stable contact profile, but Walcott has more power and, even though he’s a bit older than Made, he also has more room left on his frame for added strength. This is a player who could be a 30-homer shortstop at ages 23-25, and then a 40-homer outfielder at age 30."

Walcott is currently No. 11 in FanGraphs' prospect rankings, while Jesus Made is No. 1. By the sound of it, though, it seems the future Rangers star could leapfrog the Brewers phenom.

There is some question as to where Walcott ends up positionally, but if his future is as a 30-homer shortstop who ultimately becomes a 40-homer outfielder, well, sign us up.

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