The Wood Ducks have a number of interesting prospects that should be in the orange and green in 2019. The potential outfield of Bubba Thompson, Leody Taveras and Julio Pablo Martinez could be as good defensively as any major league outfield. The Rangers have a seemly endless supply of borderline prospects that have have some skill.
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Crouse is a promising right hander that is one of the few Rangers pitching prospects that have avoided Tommy John surgery. Crouse is a hard thrower with top the rotation upside.
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Thompson wisely goes by Bubba rather than his given name Leslie. He was a football star from Alabama that was committed to playing football at University of Alabama before signing with the Rangers. Easy to compare to top Reds prospect, Taylor Trammell given that they both have a football background. Thompson is more skilled defensively while Trammell is the more polished hitter.
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Martinez was a coveted signing last March after defecting from Cuba. The Rangers signed Martinez for 2.8 million and they took things slowly with him in 2018. However, he will be twenty three before the 2019 season starts and this should be a pivotal year for JPM. Obviously coming to the United States is a big adjustment, but Martinez' numbers in short season were disappointing given his age and background.
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Long on athleticism and short on stats, Taveras has seemingly been on prospect rankings for years but is still quite young. This is a big year for Taveras after a disappointing 2018 season.
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Alexy was drafted by the Dodgers in the 11th round of the 2016 draft. A high school draft pick from a cold weather area can take a while to develop. The 130 strikeouts in 108 innings stand out, but so do the 52 walks.
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Despite his size, Phillips is not an over powering pitcher. Like Alexy, Phillips is a late round high school draft pick from a cold weather area. Unlike Alexy, walks are not an issue. In 2018 Phillips walked 16 in 133 innings. After dominating in Hickory for the final two months on the season, Phillips was finally promoted to Down East for his last start where he allowed two hits in five innings.
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Gonzalez is big strong and athletic but has not put it all together. The Rockies signed Gonzalez for 1.3 million in 2014 as a shortstop before converting him to the outfield. He did add some power in 2018, but still has too many holes in his swing.
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It might be a stretch to consider Anderson a prospect, but he showed great improvement in Hickory. In 2017 Anderson was 1-11 and finished 2018 on a big roll. Anderson was a late round draft pick from a small college (Millersville University).
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The Rangers made it clear that Bahr was the guy they wanted. https://www.mlb.com/news/rangers-trade-for-jason-bahr-austin-jackson/c-284808556.
Bahr was up and down with the Wood Ducks so it is possible he will be assigned back to the Down East to begin the 2019 season.
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Reed is a 1B/DH only, that will need to hit and hit with a lot of power to make the majors. Reed should get a chance with the Wood Ducks in 2019 but if he is not productive he could lose his spot to Curtis Terry quickly.
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2019 will tell a lot about whether Terry is a legitimate prospect or if he was just too advanced for the hitter friendly Northwest League. Like Reed, Terry is solely a 1B/DH. Terry hit 15 homers with a .337/.434/1.040 in 67 games in Spokane.
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Shares his name with a very tough old football player. Huff skipped Spokane and went from the AZL in 2017 to Hickory in 2018. He has good power (18 homers), but has some holes in his swing ( 140 strikeouts in 118 games). Huff is interesting if he sticks at catcher. He threw out 29% of base stealers in Hickory.
Future Carolina League Prospects
The Rangers also have some interesting names to keep an eye on, that are more likely to reach Down East in 2020.
Cole Winn (SP)- The Rangers first round pick in 2018 out of high school. He has yet to pitch professionally.
Sherten Apostel (3B)- Acquired from the Pirates in the Keone Kela trade. Potentially a big time bat.
Cole Ragans (SP)- The Rangers first round pick in 2016. Ragans had Tommy John surgery in March 2018. Could possibly be in Wood Duck in the second half of 2018 if there are no set backs.
Alex Speas (RP)- A 2nd round draft pick in 2016, Speas was having a great season in Hickory when he got hurt and had Tommy John surgery in June 2018.
Kyle Cody (SP)- A talented 6'7" pitcher that has been plagued by injuries. Cody had Tommy John surgery in July 2018.
Jonathan Ornelas (3B)-The Rangers third round draft pick in 2018. Ornelas got his professional career off to a good start in the AZL.
Owen White (SP)- The Rangers 2nd round in 2018.
Morgan Englert (SP)- The Rangers 3rd round draft pick in 2018. The Rangers paid Englert more than double the slot value.
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