Listed below are the top 5 prospects in the Texas Rangers organization as ranked by Jason Parks and Baseball Prospectus. To view the full feature, please visit this link.
Prospect rankings primer
Last year's Rangers list
The Top Ten
- 2B Rougned Odor
- C Jorge Alfaro
- RHP Alex Gonzalez
- SS Luis Sardinas
- LF Nick Williams
- 3B Joey Gallo
- RHP Luke Jackson
- RF Nomar Mazara
- CF Lewis Brinson
- 1B Ronald Guzman
1. Rougned Odor
Position: 2B
DOB: 02/03/1994
Height/Weight: 5’11” 170 lbs.
Bats/Throws: L/R
Drafted/Acquired: International free agent, 2011, Venezuela
Previous Ranking: On The Rise
2013 Stats: .306/.354/.530 at Double-A Frisco (30 games), .305/.369/.454 at High-A Myrtle Beach (100 games)
The Tools: 7 future hit; 5 future power; 5 arm; 6 potential glove; 5 run
What Happened in 2013: As a 19-year-old, Odor crushed in High-A and finished the season with an impressive 30-game run in Double-A, hitting a combined 58 extra-base hits over the two stops.
Strengths: Natural bat-to-ball ability; shows impressive bat speed and the ability to make quick adjustments at the plate; can barrel velocity and track/stay back on off-speed; baseball instincts are elite; has the raw pop to drive the ball into the gaps; will develop average home run power over time; glove at second base should be plus; arm is average but strong on turns; at least average run, but plays up in game action; plays with extreme confidence and swagger; big-league competitor.
Weaknesses: Can get overly aggressive on all sides of the ball; tendency to bring bad batting practice habits into games; will drop shoulder and try to be a power hitter; has the actions and the arm to play shortstop, but doesn’t always play in control and can get sloppy; emotions can take him out of game.
Overall Future Potential: High 6; first-division player/chance for all-star level
Realistic Role: High 5; above-average player
Risk Factor/Injury History: Low risk
Bret Sayre’s Fantasy Take: The top fantasy prospect at the keystone, Odor is the kind of player who won't dominate any individual categories, but can offer reliable all-around production. And with the dearth of high-impact second basemen both in the majors and minors, his fantasy value is even higher than it appears, particularly in deeper leagues. Heck, Daniel Murphy was top five at the position this year and Odor can do that.
The Year Ahead: As of this writing, Odor doesn’t have a clear path to the majors, as both Ian Kinsler and Jurickson Profar are ahead of him in the keystone queue. But as far as the skill set is concerned, Odor will be ready for a big-league taste in 2014, and his emergence could allow the Rangers to get aggressive in this offseason’s trade market. Regardless of what happens, Odor is going to hit the baseball, and he’s going to bring a very particular brand of intensity to the field, which can often alternate between a positive and a negative attribute. He has a chance to develop into a .300 hitter with gap power, coming from an above-average defensive profile at an up-the-middle position. That’s an all-star if everything clicks.
Major league ETA: 2014
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