MLB Dirt

Baseball has a very unique farm and minor league system. Every MLB team, has a Triple-A team, Double-A team, High-A team, Low-A team, Short Season team, and several Rookie teams. That’s at least seven minor league teams each one of them loaded with players trying to make their dreams come true of playing in the major leagues one day. A few of those will make it, most won’t. Some are truly considered prospects, while some are just organization players filling a roster spot, who are still incredible baseball players but will probably never sniff the majors. 

What’s discussed a lot with a prospect is his ceiling. That ceiling then becomes a foregone conclusion in the mind, but when it comes to prospects reaching their ceilings, there is no such thing as a foregone conclusion. Still, the illusion of the ceiling for a prospect can be too intoxicating to withstand.

The Rangers have a packed minor league system with young and extremely talented ballplayers to dream on. In both the U.S. amateur draft and the international market, Texas has targeted high ceiling players that are toolsheds filled with raw tools, but are still in their teens and several years away from becoming big leaguers. The Rangers are looking to these teenagers hopefully to shape the future of the franchise. They are all still very young, very raw, and have a long way to go, but they are exactly the kinds of players that the Rangers are wanting to patiently groom. (more…)

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis, Draft Coverage, On the Farm - Prospects | Tagged: International signings, Jairo Beras, Joey Gallo, Jorge Alfaro, Lewis Brinson, MLB Draft, Nomar Mazara, Prospects, Ronald Guzman, Rougned Odor, Texas Rangers | 1 Comment »