Here are the Rangers' first-half Minor League MVPs

This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ARLINGTON -- Rangers vice president of player development and international scouting Ross Fenstermaker made a not-so-bold prediction about Texas’ No. 15 prospect Winston Santos less than a month ago.

The right-handed pitcher was going through one of the best stretches of his young professional career, boasting a 2.33 ERA in 46 1/3 innings across his first nine starts for High-A Hickory.

“If he continues this, we could be talking about moving him here [to Double-A Frisco] soon,” Fenstermaker said on June 5.

Like clockwork, that prediction quickly came true.

On June 25, Santos -- along with a slew of other prospects -- received a promotion. Santos, who had arguably been Hickory’s best player in the first half of the season, made his way to Double-A Frisco, where he’s made just one start so far.

In his Double-A debut, Santos allowed five runs on seven hits in just 2 2/3 innings. It’ll be an important learning curve for the 22-year-old as he continues to progress throughout the system.

The Rangers hope for Santos to be a success story on the pitching front, as the organization has struggled in recent years to produce high-level pitching talent at the big league level.

The Rangers signed Santos for $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic during the 2019 international class, but he didn't make his professional debut until two years later due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He posted a 3.49 ERA in 108 1/3 innings with Single-A Down East in '22, then he struggled to a 6.29 ERA in 98 2/3 innings with Hickory in '23.

Now it appears that Santos is finally reaching his potential.

“Just with his continued development, he's worked so hard, and we fixed a couple things mechanically from where he was last year,” said general manager Chris Young. “He came into Spring Training in tremendous shape, and the ball was really coming out well. We felt like the mechanical changes had served him well.

“His breaking ball has improved. It's been an area of focus for him. It's continued to improve. He's an elite makeup, a great person and I’m just really happy for him. He's done great to start the season and we’re excited to see it continue with the next level of the Minors.”

Here are the other top players this year across the organization:

Triple-A Round Rock: RHP Jack Leiter (No. 5)
Despite struggles at the big league level after making his MLB debut on April 18, Leiter has been enjoying the best year of his Minor League career this season. In 54 innings, the right-hander has posted a 3.67 ERA across 12 games (11 starts). He’s holding opponents to a .210 average in the hitter friendly Pacific Coast League as he continues to iron out his mechanics.

Double-A Frisco: RHP Emiliano Teodo (No. 14)
There were questions about Teodo’s long-term viability as a starter entering this season, but he quickly shut those down, highlighting Frisco’s rotation that led the club to the first-half title of the Texas League’s South Division. The right-hander has posted a 1.87 ERA in 62 2/3 innings. In 13 starts, he’s struck out 82 batters, while walking just 32. He has, without a doubt, been the RoughRiders' most valuable pitcher, and maybe even their most valuable player.

Low-A Down East: 3B Gleider Figuereo (No. 25)
Figuereo has slid under the radar due to the Rangers’ group of young pitchers and big league-ready bats in the system like Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford. But on a Wood Ducks team that doesn’t have much firepower, Figuereo posted an .820 OPS in 63 games, collecting nine doubles, four triples and 12 homers. He was rewarded with a promotion to High-A Hickory on June 25.