2017 Texas Rangers Top 10 Insider
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Talent Infusion: Draft Report Card
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SEASON IN A SENTENCE: The Rangers continued the best stretch in franchise history, winning their fourth division series since 2010 and making their fifth playoff trip in that stretch. The year’s bunch won 95 games, most in the American League and tied for second in baseball, but Texas lost again in the division series to the Blue Jays, getting swept this time in three games.
HIGH POINT: The Rangers owned the rival Astros, going 15-4 against their in-state and division foes. Texas opened September with a pair of big wins over Houston, with a 12-4 win Sept. 3 capping a season-high seven-game winning streak. Other highlights of the rivalry for Texas included a walk-off comeback 6-5 victory on June 6 on a Rougned Odor double and a three-game April 19-21 sweep.
LOW POINT: Texas’ rivalry with Toronto, fueled in 2015 by Jose Bautista’s bat flip after a game-winning homer, gained fuel when Odor and Bautista precipitated a benches-clearing brawl in the final regular-season matchup between the clubs on May 15. While Odor landed a clean punch to Bautista’s jaw that thrilled Rangers fans, Bautista and the Blue Jays had the last laugh with an easy three-game playoff sweep, including a 10-1 loss in Arlington and finishing with a walk-off defeat.
NOTABLE ROOKIES: Nomar Mazara took over early in the season as the right fielder when Shin-Soo Choo was sidelined and stayed in the lineup most of the season, belting 20 home runs and flashing star-quality tools as a 21-year-old.
KEY TRANSACTIONS: Texas GM Jon Daniels was active and wound up trading three first-round picks to fortify the big league roster. The Rangers sent 2015 first-round pick Dillon Tate to the Yankees in the Carlos Beltran deal and acquired catcher Jonathan Lucroy and righthander Jeremy Jeffress from Milwaukee for outfielder Lewis Brinson (2012 first-rounder), righty Luis Ortiz (’13) and outfielder Ryan Cordell.
DOWN ON THE FARM: High Class A High Desert won the California League title in its final season as a franchise; the Rangers helped contract two teams from the California League and will move their new high Class A affiliate to Kinston, N.C., in the Carolina League. Rangers affiliates posted a .491 winning percentage cumulatively. Lefthander Yohander Mendez started the season at High Desert, and he earned a callup to the big leagues.
OPENING DAY PAYROLL: $186,038,723 (5th)
| BEST TOOLS | |
| Best Hitter for Average | Leody Taveras |
| Best Power Hitter | Jairo Beras |
| Best Strike-Zone Discipline | Josh Morgan |
| Fastest Baserunner | Eric Jenkins |
| Best Athlete | Eric Jenkins |
| Best Fastball | Connor Sadzeck |
| Best Curveball | Brett Martin |
| Best Slider | Tyler Ferguson |
| Best Changeup | Yohander Mendez |
| Best Control | Ariel Jurado |
| Best Defensive Catcher | Jose Trevino |
| Best Defensive Infielder | Michael De Leon |
| Best Infield Arm | Yeyson Yrizarri |
| Best Defensive Outfielder | Leody Taveras |
| Best Outfield Arm | Jairo Beras |
| PROJECTED 2020 LINEUP | |
| Catcher | Jonathan Lucroy |
| First Base | Ronald Guzman |
| Second Base | Rougned Odor |
| Third Base | Joey Gallo |
| Shortstop | Elvis Andrus |
| Left Field | Jurickson Profar |
| Center Field | Leody Taveras |
| Right Field | Nomar Mazara |
| Designated Hitter | Andy Ibanez |
| No. 1 Starter | Yu Darvish |
| No. 2 Starter | Cole Hamels |
| No. 3 Starter | Martin Perez |
| No. 4 Starter | Yohander Mendez |
| No. 5 Starter | Ariel Jurado |
| Closer | Keone Kela |
| TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE | ||
| Year | Player, Pos. | 2016 Org |
| 2007 | John Danks, lhp | White Sox |
| 2008 | Elvis Andrus, ss | Rangers |
| 2009 | Neftali Feliz, rhp | Pirates |
| 2010 | Neftali Feliz, rhp | Pirates |
| 2011 | Martin Perez, lhp | Rangers |
| 2012 | Jurickson Profar, ss | Rangers |
| 2013 | Jurickson Profar, ss | Rangers |
| 2014 | Rougned Odor, 2b | Rangers |
| 2015 | Joey Gallo, 3b | Rangers |
| 2016 | Joey Gallo, 3b | Rangers |
| TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE | ||
| Year | Player, Pos. | 2016 Org |
| 2007 | Blake Beavan, rhp | Atlantic League |
| 2008 | Justin Smoak, 1b | Blue Jays |
| 2009 | *Matt Purke, lhp | White Sox |
| 2010 | Jake Skole, of | Yankees |
| 2011 | Kevin Matthews, lhp | Did not play |
| 2012 | Lewis Brinson, of | Brewers |
| 2013 | Chi Chi Gonzalez, rhp | Rangers |
| 2014 | Luis Ortiz, rhp | Brewers |
| 2015 | Dillon Tate, rhp | Yankees |
| 2016 | Cole Ragans, lhp | Rangers |
| LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY | |
| Leonys Martin, 2011 | $5,000,000 |
| Nomar Mazara, 2011 | $4,950,000 |
| Mark Teixeira, 2001 | $4,500,000 |
| Jairo Beras, 2012 | $4,500,000 |
| Dillon Tate, 2015 | $4,200,000 |
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