Here are the Rangers' 2022 Top 30 prospects
Jim Callis
@JimCallisMLBThe Rangers' .367 and .370 winning percentages the last two seasons are their worst since 1972-73, the franchise's first two years in Texas. But the team's immediate and long-term futures are significantly brighter.
While the signings of Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Jonathan Gray to $556 million of free-agent deals won't immediately transform a 102-loss club into a contender, they're a good first step. Armed with five Top 100 Prospects and its best prospect depth in years, especially on the pitching side, the farm system should be able to fill a variety of holes.
The Rangers' last four first-round picks have blossomed into Top 100 Prospects, headlined by right-hander Jack Leiter, who went No. 2 overall in the 2021 Draft -- Texas' highest pick since it took Tommy Boggs in the same slot in 1974. Leiter, 2018 first-rounder Cole Winn and Arizona Fall League breakout star Owen White should bolster the big league rotation before the end of 2023.
Though Leiter has yet to throw a professional pitch, several of the Rangers' best prospects made their organization debuts in 2021. Infielders Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith, outfielder Trevor Hauver and right-hander Glenn Otto arrived from the Yankees in July's Joey Gallo/Joely Rodriguez trade. Dustin Harris, the player to be named later in the 2020 Mike Minor deal with the Athletics, emerged as one of the better young hitters in the Minors.
As for purely homegrown prospects, first-rounder Justin Foscue; second-rounders Owen White, Evan Carter and Aaron Zavala; and third-rounders Tekoah Roby and Cameron Cauley all saw their first pro action. The same was true with seven-figure international signees Maximo Acosta and Yeison Morrobel.
Here's a look at the Rangers' top prospects:
1. Jack Leiter, RHP (MLB No. 17)
2. Josh Jung, 3B (MLB No. 29)
3. Cole Winn, RHP (MLB No. 48)
4. Ezequiel Duran, INF (MLB No. 83)
5. Justin Foscue, 2B (MLB No. 89)
Complete Top 30 list ?
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2021 preseason list to the 2022 preseason list.
Jump: Dustin Harris, 1B/3B/OF (2021: NR | 2022: 6) -- The 2019 11th-round pick from St. Petersburg (Fla.) JC broke into full-season ball by batting .327/.401/.542 with 20 homers and 25 steals while advancing to High-A.
Fall: Sherten Apostel, 3B/1B (2021: 11 | 2022: NR) -- He still has one of the most powerful bats and strongest arms in the system, but he battled a variety of leg injuries and got passed by other prospects last year.
Best tools
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.
Hit: 60 -- Josh Jung (Dustin Harris, Josh Smith, Aaron Zavala)
Power: 60 -- Sam Huff
Run: 65 -- Cam Cauley (Bubba Thompson)
Arm: 60 -- Sam Huff (Maximo Acosta, Luisangel Acuna, Anthony Gutierrez, Yeison Morrobel)
Defense: 60 -- Bubba Thompson
Fastball: 70 -- Jack Leiter
Curveball: 60 -- Jack Leiter (Dane Acker, Cole Winn)
Slider: 65 -- Zak Kent
Changeup: 60 -- Cody Bradford
Control: 60 -- Cody Bradford
How they were built
Draft: 17 | International: 6 | Trade: 7
Breakdown by ETA
2022: 9 | 2023: 9 | 2024: 6 | 2025: 5 | 2026: 1
Breakdown by position
C: 1 | 1B: 1 | 2B: 2 | 3B: 3 | SS: 5 | OF: 6 | RHP: 10 | LHP: 2