Texas Rangers Prospects: 2024 Midseason Top 30 Update

Entering the year, the Rangers had two of the game’s very best prospects in outfielders Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford. Both of those players have graduated from consideration, leaving shortstop Sebastian Walcott at the top of the system. From there, things thin quickly, but upstart arms Alejandro Rosario, Emiliano Teodo and Winston Santos have given it a boost.

Baseball America subscribers can see the full updated Rangers Top 30 here. Notable risers, fallers, new additions and injury updates are below.

Notable Risers

Alejandro Rosario, RHP

Rosario’s career at the University of Miami was nondescript. The Rangers liked his raw stuff, however, and selected him in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. The team tweaked his arsenal, reintroduced his split-fingered fastball and were rewarded with one of the organization’s most dominant performers in the low levels of the minor leagues.

Winston Santos, RHP

Santos has long teased his potential thanks to an intriguing fastball-changeup combination; he just never could find a consistent breaking pitch. After years of tinkering, Santos found a slider that works for him, and the rest of his repertoire has seen similar gains, as well. He worked over the competition at High-A before earning his first bump to the upper levels on June 25.

Notable Fallers

Abimelec Ortiz, 1B

Ortiz was one of the best performing prospects in Texas’ system in 2023. That output has not translated to the upper levels. His conditioning—which always was going to require monitoring—was not up to snuff entering the year, and his bat suffered as a result. He also continues to have a weakness against premium velocity, especially when it is precisely located.

Brock Porter, RHP

In spring training, scouts noted that Porter’s stuff was down across the board. Once the season began, he showed significantly diminished control, as well, and the team eventually brought him back to its spring training complex in Arizona for a reset. He got back on the mound in late June but still showed a fastball that only sat around 88-90 mph.

Aidan Curry, RHP

One of the more up-arrow prospects at Low-A Down East in 2023, Curry has regressed in 2024 at High-A Hickory. The root of his struggles involves more disciplined hitters not chasing as frequently as they did at Low-A and the lack of a reliable third pitch to go along with his fastball and slider. He also needs to get his fastball in the zone more often.

Notable New Additions

13. Dane Acker, RHP

BA Grade/Risks: 45/High

Track Record: Acker was part of the package the Rangers received from the A’s in the 2021 deal that sent Elvis Andrus and Aramis Garcia to Oakland. The 2020 fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma has flashed his potential over the years but has had his career waylaid several times by injuries, including Tommy John surgery to repair an elbow tear that occurred shortly after he began pitching in the Texas system.

Scouting Report: Finally healthy, Acker has reached the upper levels and pitched as well as one could expect in the hitter-friendly Texas League. He has three average or above-average pitches in his arsenal and a below-average cutter as an added wrinkle against lefties. He controls the strike zone fairly well, but scouts see the high back elbow in his delivery as possibly problematic in the long run.

The Future: As long as he stays healthy, Acker has a chance to reach the big leagues as a long reliever or back-end starter, possibly in the near future.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Cutter: 40 | Control: 45

15. Yeremi Cabrera, OF

BA Grade/Risks: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Cabrera was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2022 and spent his first two professional seasons in the DSL before moving stateside for the 2024 season. He’s shown a power uptick in the ACL, where he socked eight home runs in his first 33 games after hitting nine over his combined time in the Dominican Republic.

Scouting Report: Cabrera is a well-rounded player who can offer roughly average tools on both sides of the ball. He has plenty of development to go, but could produce above-average power from a corner outfield spot one day in the big leagues. His average arm would fit fine in either corner, and he’s played right field roughly as often as he’s manned center field throughout his career.

The Future: Cabrera’s next stop is Low-A Down East, where he’ll be challenged against craftier pitchers for the first time in his career. He has a chance to be an everyday corner outfielder on a second-division club.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Speed: 50 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 50

19. Cole Winn, RHP

BA Grade/Risks: 40/Medium

Track Record: Winn was the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2018 out of high school in Colorado. He had an inconsistent career in the minor leagues that included struggles with control and command before a bust-out season in 2021 that led the Rangers to skip him over Double-A entirely. He struggled mightily for two seasons at Triple-A before earning his first big league callup in 2024, and he made his debut on April 14. He is currently on the injured list with a sprained right shoulder capsule.

Scouting Report: Some of Winn’s biggest struggles came after he was struck with a line drive in his early days at Triple-A. He altered his mechanics afterward, and his stuff and command took a sharp nosedive. He currently flashes hints of his old form, but his profile now looks more like that of a long reliever. His stuff across the board ranges from fringe-average to above-average, and scouts have noticed that he doesn’t always deliver his mix with the most conviction.

The Future: Once healthy, Winn will likely settle back in as a reliever who can soak up innings in low-leverage situations.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45