A look at seven Texas Rangers minor leaguers not named Josh Jung who shined this fall
The biggest name of those who toiled away the past six weeks at the Texas Rangers instructional league is Josh Jung, arguably the club’s top prospect and a potential first-half call-up in 2021.
The third baseman has done plenty of hitting (.350/.451/.583 slash line) in Arizona and also played a little second base. He hasn’t done anything that would cause any concern for the Rangers, who selected him eighth overall in the 2019 draft.
Then again, the Rangers were 23-5-3 entering Friday, so a lot of their minor leaguers have been performing well.
Some are names that Rangers fans know. Some are names fans might have forgotten. Some are names that Rangers fans need to know.
Take a look a five who have left favorable impressions with a week left in instructs.
Chris Seise, SS
The Rangers have no shortage of talent up the middle, with shortstops Maximo Acosta and Luisangel Acuna regarded as two of the Rangers’ most exciting prospects.
Justin Foscue, the 2020 first-round pick, and Davis Wendzel and Oslevis Basabe are prospects at second base.
But don’t forget about Chris Seise, a 2017 first-round pick who has dealt with significant shoulder injuries the past two seasons. Some with the Rangers believe he is one of their top-five prospects.
He’s proving them right this fall, showcasing his speed and power while having no fielding issues at shortstop.
Seise is also lacking in games. He has barely played at Low A, so it’s hard to gauge where he will open 2021 and how quickly he can climb through the system.
The question with Seise is his health, and there have been no signs of trouble there.
“The guy’s got talent,” said Josh Johnson, the High A Down East manager who leads one of the two instructs teams. “It’s obvious. I think, really, we just let him run. Who knows what can happen? I’m not too sure how fast he can move, but the guy is doing everything he can right now to maximize this instruction.”
Evan Carter, OF
The talk of the Rangers’ 2020 draft, which in this instance wasn’t a good thing, has been one of the most talked about players in instructs. In this instance, it’s a good thing.
Carter, the Tennessee prep outfielder who had draft “experts” scratching their heads when the Rangers took him in the second round, has met the expectations of a second-round pick.
He has hit (.273) and shown a knack for being on base with a .500 on-base percentage.
Carter isn’t doing these things against Valley Vista High across the street from the Surprise Recreation Campus. He’s excelling against peers and players who have more experience.
“He’s been, I’d say, even better than advertised,” said Carlos Cardoza, the Low A Hickory manager who has the younger of the two instructs teams. “Everything our scouting group talked about the makeup, the intelligence, the aptitude, just the natural athleticism. I know he’s kind of like a late bloomer when it comes to the draft status and all that, but it’s all played. It’s all played up.”
Tommy John guys
Three pitchers from the top of the 2018 draft class are pitching again after having their elbows repaired in 2019, and they could be on the way to reclaiming their status as key prospects.
Second-rounder Owen White, fourth-rounder Mason Englert (Forney High School) and sixth-rounder Sean Chandler, all right-handers, have pitched and pitched well. More importantly, their elbows have held, and the Rangers expect them to be ready for a normal spring workload.
White and Englert have never pitched professionally. Chandler, who was selected from Iowa Western Community College, logged 31 1/3 innings in 2018 and 2019 before tearing his ulnar collateral ligament.
“They have been some of our highlights of the camp, for sure, seeing them back on the mound healthy,” said Jordan Tiegs, the pitching coach at instructional league. “They look like they haven’t missed a beat. They have competed really well and had zero issues throwing strikes. They are in a tremendous spot going into next year.”
Cole Ragans, the 2016 first-rounder who has undergone two Tommy John surgeries, has completed his rehab and will be a full-go next spring. Ryan Garcia, the 2019 second-rounder, underwent Tommy John surgery in the spring and will throw off a mound for the first time in spring training.
Jose Rodriguez, 1B/OF
The most glaring shortfall by the Rangers’ dreadful 2020 offense was an abundant lack of power. As they continue their rebuild, they hope to find some hitters who will help change that.
Rodriguez’s power this fall has caught the Rangers’ attention. Only 19, Rodriguez entered the weekend with four home runs and has made a jump at the plate that the Rangers are hoping to see from heralded international prospect Bayron Lora.
Lora has dealt with a wrist injury, but continues to put on a power show during batting practice.
Rodriguez, who was widely regarded a top-40 prospect in the 2018 international class, was signed as a catcher but has moved to first base since the Rangers are thin there.
Curtis Terry, the Rangers’ 2019 Minor League Player of the Year, has received the most time at first base this fall, but Rodriguez is now in that picture.
“He’s got four homers, and he’s hitting over .400,” farm director Paul Kruger said. “He really coming into his body. He put on 15 to 20 pounds of good weight.”
Justin Slaten, RHP
For those looking for a pitcher who could move quickly through the system, Slaten, a native Texan, is a good candidate.
The Rangers’ third-round pick in 2019, Slaten has added velocity to his fastball since last season and has made significant gains with his breaking ball.
Slaten pitched in college, so he has some polish and should be better equipped physically to withstand a heavier workload in 2021 even though the minor-league season was canceled this year.
“He came in and right out of the gate, his fastball has been up a tick,” Tiegs said. “So, it’s been really encouraging, not that he didn’t have a good one before. But we’re seeing him take that low- to mid-90s into the mid- to upper-90s now. Command has been really good. Breaking ball’s come a long way. I think we’re all really excited to see what 2021 has in store for him.”
