Whoever said, “Everything’s bigger in Texas” must have had the current state of the Rangers’ farm system in mind at the time. Thanks to a transaction-infested trade deadline and another strong draft in 2007, the Rangers finally have something the organization hasn’t seen in a while: depth. While they may not have any prospects in the mold of “elite” just yet, the youth movement in the Texas Rangers’ system should create a great deal of excitement across the Lone Star State.
| Our Top 5 Texas Rangers Prospects at the end of the 2007 Season | ||||||||||
| No. | Player | Pos | Notes | Age | Level | |||||
| 1 | Eric Hurley | RHP | Fly-ball pitcher who has progressed well; decent K rates (20%+ career) | 22 | AAA | |||||
| 2 | Blake Beavan | RHP | 2007's 17th pick; 6-foot-7, 210-pound power arm with a lot of upside | 18 | HS | |||||
| 3 | Elvis Andrus | SS | High-upside talent who has yet to show much extra-base-hit power | 19 | A+ | |||||
| 4 | Kasey Kiker | LHP | Colby Rasmus' HS teammate; K'd 27.6% of the batters he faced in the MWL | 19 | A | |||||
| 5 | Engel Beltre | CF | Key chip in the Eric Gagne trade; raw put gushing with potential | 17 | SS | |||||
| * Ages are as of 9/25/07 | ||||||||||
| ** Level is the highest level the player has reached | ||||||||||
| *** Our rankings combine a player's ceiling with the odds that he'll reach it and favor recent production | ||||||||||
| <<< Discuss these rankings | ||||||||||
1. Eric Hurley, RHP (9/17/85)
Anytime you can make a 4.91 ERA in Triple-A look good, you’re definitely going to garner some kind of high-end recognition. This has been just the case for Eric Hurley. A 6-foot-4, 195-pounder, Hurley has been a mixed bag this season. Despite a 2.45 K/BB clip and nonexistent groundball numbers (38%), the Sikeston, Mo. native has maintained an impressive 1.18 WHIP and decent 20.1% K rate throughout the roller coaster ride. If he can learn to cut his walk rate and start to at least somewhat keep the ball on the ground – especially with Rangers Ballpark at Arlington on the horizon – Hurley should become a solid big league starting pitcher in a stadium near you.
2. Blake Beavan, RHP (1/17/89)
No matter how apt a pitching prospect is for learning, there are two things that can never be taught: size and velocity. Standing 6-foot-7, weighing in at 210 pounds, and possessing a blazing fastball and power slider, Blake Beavan is an instant reminder that learning is highly overrated. The major concern with specimen-types such as Beavan lies not in pure skill, but in the ability to control such natural abilities. 2007’s No. 17 overall pick is certainly moving in the right direction in that respect. Pair an exceedingly projectable frame with an electric arsenal and it’s hard not to feel a charge when pondering the potential of Blake Beavan’s future.
3. Elvis Andrus, SS (8/26/88)
For as long as his name has been known in the prospecting industry, it’s sometimes hard to remember that Elvis Andrus (photo above) is still a mere 19-years-old. After struggling in the Carolina League – he hit just .244 with a .330 OBP – Andrus has reaped the benefits of the California League’s (.300, .369) version of High-A ball since being dealt by the Braves’ organization in the Mark Teixeira trade. Power still has yet to materialize for the 6-foot, 185-pounder (combined .343 SLG), but Andrus’ developing ability to reach the base paths – and then doing damage once he’s aboard (40 SB) – makes him a dynamic and exciting prospect to track no matter what bus line he’s associated with at the time.
4. Kasey Kiker, LHP (11/19/87)
At 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, Kasey Kiker is not the kind of lefty you’d expect to have 112 strikeouts in 96.1 frames of work (27.6% K rate). While such powering numbers may catch you off guard, it’s not all fun and games for Kiker in Low-A, either. Having allowed 41 BB in the same timeframe (10.1% BB/PA) and holding a sketchy 41% groundball rate, the Phenix City, Ala. product is far from home free. If Kiker can learn to command his pitches better, his already solid strikeout clip (2.73 K/BB) could be brought out even further, advancing him to the next tier of lefthanded pitching talent.
5. Engel Beltre, CF (11/1/89)
Having stood on this planet for a meager 17 years and already holding premium power potential with a baseball bat, it’s hard not to look towards the future when thinking about Engel Beltre. Signed for $600,000 out of the Dominican Republic last summer, Beltre was dealt to the Rangers as a crucial component of the Eric Gagne deal. A 6-foot-1, 170-pounder, Beltre has already drawn comparisons to the likes of Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., and Daryl Strawberry. While patience isn’t exactly a virtue just yet (22:75 BB to K), the power-hitting Beltre’s remarkably high ceiling lands him on this list for pure ability alone.
Honorable Mentions:
After tabbing Beavan, the Rangers used their second selection of the first round (24th pick of the draft) on another hardthrowing prospect this season: Michael Main (RHP, 12/14/88), who has posted a solid 28.6% strikeout rate in his young pro career thus far. Snatching up Julio Borbon (OF, 2/20/86) in the sandwich round gave Texas three legitimate first-round talents in the draft’s first 36 picks. While competing at the Double-A level as a 24-year-old isn’t impressive, going .310/.426/.586 is, so Taylor Teagarden (C, 12/21/83) garners some recognition of his own. Between John Whittleman (3B, 2/11/87) and his patient (.115 IsoD) approach and Christopher Davis (3B, 3/17/86) and his slugging prowess (36 HR, .598 SLG), but apparent allergies to walks (35:150 BB to K), the Rangers appear to have the hot corner covered, as well.
Adam Loberstein can be reached at aloberstein@projectprospect.com.