SURPRISE, Ariz. — In late January, after the Texas Rangers swung a deal that sent significant prospect capital east 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. 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.
Rangers
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, we continue our daily countdown of The Dallas Morning News’ top 30 prospects.
No. 10: SS/RHP Seong-Jun Kim
Texas Rangers two-way prospect Seong-Jun Kim participates in a fielding drill during of a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Surprise, Ariz.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
Age: 18
Height/weight: 6-0, 185 pounds
B/T: R/R
Who he is: The Rangers signed Kim, a Korean teenager, to a $1.2 million bonus last year. He headlined their international amateur class when they pivoted from right-hander Roki Sasaki after the phenom pitcher signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kim is a two-way player, which means he pitches and hits, and the Rangers fully intend to develop him as one. He chose the Rangers over his native KBO League in an effort to expedite his potential big league career and made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year.
Why he’s here: Kim is one of two two-way prospects, alongside shortstop/right-handed pitcher Josh Owens, that the Rangers will develop. Per MLB Pipeline, which ranks every team’s top 30 prospects, they’re just two of five leaguewide that appear on any organization’s list. The Rangers weren’t entirely sure if Kim was stronger as a pitcher or hitter when they initially evaluated him and chose to give him an opportunity to develop on both sides.
He has a low-to-mid 90’s fastball that’s reached 95 mph in camp, a tight slider, a curveball, and a splitter, all of which give him a well-rounded arsenal for a teenager. His more polished repertoire and easy delivery suggest that he has the upside to start games on the mound.
At shortstop, where the Rangers intend to keep him, Kim’s a fundamentally sound and instinctive defender. At the plate, he has more power than his size and frame might let on, and “projects as an average hitter with a good approach” per MLB Pipeline.
What’s his future: The Rangers plan for Kim to start once per week in the regular season with built-in rest days for recovery. He’ll play shortstop, but because of the added stress that the position will have on his arm, he may see some time at designated hitter to mitigate wear and tear. He isn’t expected to pitch and hit in the same games this season, unlike Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, though the Rangers intend to build him up towards that eventually.
Some of Kim’s upside will be tied to his potential growth. If Kim, who doesn’t turn 19 years old until midseason, continues to bulk up and add muscle, there’s a belief that his velocity on the mound and power at the plate could increase. It’s an ambitious venture, one that the Rangers haven’t undertaken before, though the club believes that Kim has the right discipline and motivation to balance the workload of multiple positions.
Where he’ll start; MLB ETA; Arizona Complex League; 2030
Rangers’ top 30 prospects
No. 30: RHP Mason McConnaughey
No. 29: OF Braylin Morel
No. 28: RHP Frandel Pineda
No. 27: LHP Josh Trentadue
No. 26: RHP Paul Bonzagni
No. 25: OF Maxton Martin
No. 24: LHP Ben Abeldt
No. 23: OF Paulino Santana
No. 22: LHP Dalton Pence
No. 21: RHP Izack Tiger
No. 20: OF Anthony Gutierrez
No. 19: RHP Jacob Johnson
No. 18: OF Paxton Kling
No. 17: RHP Emiliano Teodo
No. 16: 3B Jack Wheeler
No. 15: C Malcolm Moore
No. 14: UTIL Cam Cauley
No. 13: Leandro Lopez
No. 12: Elian Rosario
No. 11: OF Dylan Dreiling
No. 10: SS/RHP Seong-Jun Kim
Nos. 9-1: Coming soon…