Texas Rangers’ minor-league camp opens Monday. Here are 10 prospects to watch in 2020
Hans Crouse reports that his right elbow feels fine and that he is slowly finding the feel for his pitches again after having surgery in October to remove a bone spur that affected him most of last season.
The Texas Rangers’ former top prospect didn’t throw a slider after June, and he wasn’t able to maintain his velocity deeper into starts. His results weren’t terrible, but he has been knocked down a few pegs in prospect rankings by most publications.
Crouse, though, logged the innings and gained more confidence in his change-up. In so doing, he positioned himself for a bump to High A Down East to start the 2020 minor-league season April 9.
“It wasn’t the most fun for times, for sure, but it definitely made me mentally stronger,” Crouse said. “It’s getting there. I feel good. I definitely feel like I’m on track. It just gets a little frustrating at times, not having the feel for everything yet, but that’s what spring training is for.”
He was one of three top pitching prospects to throw live batting practice on Thursday, four days before the opening of minor-league camp Monday. The first games will be played Wednesday.
That might seem like a quick turnaround, but the Rangers have brought minor-leaguers to Arizona in waves. The final wave arrived Friday from the Dominican Republic and included Bayron Lora and Maximo Acosta, the top two players signed by the Rangers in July.
Some Prospects in major-league camp have been reassigned to the minor leagues to prepare for their season. Those players, like catcher Sam Huff and outfielder Leody Taveras, have already had plenty of eyes on them this spring.
Crouse is one in minor-league camp to keep an eye on this spring and in the 2020 season. Here are nine others.
Ricky Vanasco
Some in the organization believe that Vanasco is the top pitching prospect. He broke through last season at Short-Season A Spokane and made a quick impression in Low A Hickory.
He’s long and lean with a fastball that routinely reaches the upper 90s. His curveball and change-up have the potential to develop into plus-pitches, and on top of that he’s a good kid who understands hard work.
Cole Winn
If Vanasco or Crouse aren’t the best starting pitching prospects in the system, Winn is. The right-hander finished strong at Low A Hickory, but might return there to open the season before getting a quick promotion.
Winn, the 2018 first-round pick (15th overall), has three plus-pitches (fastball, curveball, slider) and a fourth that is at least average (change-up). He’s smooth mechanically, and the Rangers like how he competes.
Alex Speas
The pitcher who touched 102 mph at the end of his rehab from Tommy John surgery is still short on command. Once he gets that dialed in, he could be on a rapid rise through the farm system.
Speas is expected to start the season at Hickory. Will he be this season’s version of Emmanuel Clase, who opened last season at Hickory but was in the majors by August? That’s not the plan, but it’s not far-fetched.
Cole Uvila
This right-hander is a reliever who could impact the Rangers this season. Uvila, a 40th-round pick in 2018, pitched at High A Down East last season and finished up with a stint in the Arizona Fall League.
He was hard to hit, with a .160 opponents average. A lot of the time, foes didn’t even make contact. Uvila, who is likely bound for Double A Frisco, struck out 95 batters in 64 2/3 innings.
Josh Jung
The Rangers’ 2019 first-round pick (eighth overall) arrived to Arizona on Feb. 5 and has played for the Rangers in a few Cactus League games as a just-in-case player. He is one of two prospects at third base, along with Sherten Apostel.
Jung came to professional baseball ready to hit, and his at-bats in Cactus League games revealed the advanced approach elite college hitters bring with them. A strong season in 2020 will almost certainly put him in big-league camp next year and perhaps in line for a 2021 MLB debut.
Chris Seise
When asking Rangers officials about prospects with the highest upside, Seise is almost always in the conversation. The problem so far in his career is that he hasn’t been healthy.
A first-round pick in 2017 (29th overall), Seise has had operations on both shoulders the past two seasons and has played only 72 two games the past three seasons. He was at Hickory last season when injured.
Bubba Thompson
Speaking of injuries and high-upside 2017 first-rounders, the 26th overall pick in that draft was slowed by injuries last season and batted only .178 when he was healthy.
But the center fielder made it through the Arizona Fall League, where he was one of the fastest players, and comes to camp knowing that he can take off again, as he did in 2018, with a full slate of games.
Julio Pablo Martinez
It was only two springs ago when Julio Pablo Martinez became a big get for the Rangers internationally after missing out on Shohei Ohtani. Martinez said he would be in the majors in three seasons.
Well, 2020 is that third season, and he’s has yet to advance past A ball. Martinez could open at Double A Frisco, where there will multiple outfielders like him — speedy and can hit for power. The Cuban must cut down on his strikeouts
Steele Walker
Acquired for Nomar Mazara, Walker finished 2019 at High A in the Chicago White Sox system. He comes to the Rangers with polish at the plate after playing in college at Oklahoma.
From Prosper, Walker is likely to start 2020 at Frisco. Taveras and Martinez could also join him there, with Thompson a level behind. Walker finds himself in the race to the big leagues, which Taveras is leading.
This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
