Rangers farmhand rockets up mid-season prospect rankings

Major League Baseball's season is at the midway point and the 2025 amateur draft is just a matter of weeks away. It appears, at least to CBS Sports, that this is the best time to really take a look at where some of the best prospects in the sport rank. That includes the Texas Rangers’ top prospect, Sebastian Walcott.

When looking at where he stands, Walcott has been one of those players who has only been getting more love as the season goes on. Even during some periods where he’s struggled, he’s been one who has rocketed up the rankings.

There are few prospects who have impressed CBS Sports from the beginning of the season until now. He started at No. 20 and as of this week’s review, he’s now RJ Anderson’s top prospect in all of baseball. And that’s despite the fact that the Texas Rangers don’t expect him to come to the majors until late next season at the very earliest.

“There's an argument to be made for each of the three teenage shortstops atop this list, but I'm giving Walcott the nod at No. 1 because he's the first to reach and succeed at the Double-A level,” Anderson wrote. “Walcott has always possessed middle-of-the-order upside, thanks in large part to an ultra-fast bat that gives him 30-plus-homer potential.”

CBS Sports elevates Rangers farmhand Sebastian Walcott to No. 1 overall in mid-season prospect update

“He's shown further signs of skill refinement this season, improving his defense and carving more than five percentage points off his strikeout rate. All the while, Walcott has produced around 20% better than the league-average mark -- and has done so against competition that is more than five years his senior.” 

“Sew everything together and you're talking about a potential star-caliber player who I think will have made his big-league debut within the next 12 months,” Anderson gushed.

Walcott is getting enough love that he might end up facing off against MLB’s best because he officially gets the call to the bigs as it’s possible he’ll play in the WBC. 

Until then, the Texas Rangers can be happy he’s impressing so many, this completely.