SURPRISE, Ariz. — In late January, after the Texas Rangers swung a deal that sent significant prospect capital east in order to improve the major league roster, general manager Ross Fenstermaker rationalized the club’s moves as “the price we pay in order to compete.”
Oh, yeah, they’ve paid a price.
The Rangers have dealt eight top 30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline’s evaluations, since last summer’s trade deadline. They shipped three to the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-handed pitcher Merrill Kelly to bolster their rotation midseason and another five to the Washington Nationals for MacKenzie Gore last month to do the same thing.
That’s the cost of big league improvement. It’ll also ding the depth of a farm system. The Rangers have the No. 22 farm system per ESPN, the No. 24 farm system per Baseball America and the No. 25 farm system per USA TODAY.
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The success of the farm system, much like the major league roster, will be predicated on how a number of position player prospects respond to down seasons. Baseball America, which hasn’t ranked the club’s system this low since the 2021 season, said it “needs major rebounds from its near-proximity prospects to supplement the big league roster.”
Their collective progression will determine where the farm stands this time next year. Until then, though, it’s time to begin the daily countdown of The Dallas Morning News’ top 30 prospects.
No. 29: OF Braylin Morel
Age: 20
Height/weight: 6-2, 180
B/T: R/R
Who he is: The Rangers signed Morel out of the Dominican Republic to a $97,500 bonus prior to the 2023 season.
Why he’s here: His first two professional seasons suggested that the Rangers might have struck gold when he posted 1.061 OPS in 47 games with the Dominican Summer League team and a .982 OPS in 41 games with the Arizona Complex League.
But last year, in his second season with the ACL club, Morel took a step back and slashed .268/.302/.423 with a worrisome 40-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He struck out 26 times and walked just 5 times in 24 games at Low-A Hickory after a midseason promotion.
Morel’s abilities are still the kind that one can dream about. He “hits balls harder than most teenagers and has plus raw power,” per MLB Pipeline, and showed that with 54 extra base hits in his first 88 professional games.
What’s his future: Morel posted a 26.8% strikeout percentage last season. For reference, only 17 qualified hitters struck out at that high of a clip in the major leagues last season, though a dozen of them were able to at least walk in 9% of their at bats and all but three slugged better than .400. Morel worked walks in just 4% of his plate appearances and slugged only .397.
He’ll need to improve his swing decisions to harness his power capabilities and, defensively, will need more than a strong arm to stick in the outfield long term.
Where he will start; MLB ETA: Low-A Hickory; 2029.
Rangers prospect countdown
No. 30: RHP Mason McConnaughey
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