February 13, 2016

Edward Sutelan's 2016 fantasy baseball rankings of the top 10 Texas Rangers MLB prospects for fantasy baseball dynasty leagues. He previews the minor league farm system.

More than any other team in baseball, the Texas Rangers snuck up and emerged as the most surprising contender in 2015. Both the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs had been rebuilding for many years so though earlier than many expected, it seemed more plausible that the Astros or Cubs would compete than the Rangers would. The Rangers not only managed to find themselves in the postseason picture, but they managed to win the AL West Division Title over the Houston Astros led by young phenom Carlos Correa and the Los Angeles Angels led by the most feared hitter in the majors, Mike Trout.

Even without calling up much of their bountiful prospect depth, the Rangers found a way to compete with teams like Houston who had already called up quite a bit of their young talent. This should make Rangers fans giddy with excitement. Talented prospects like Lewis Brinson and Dillon Tate await in the minors for their opportunity to contribute to the Rangers’ success and help them build a dynasty.

If you are interested in more MLB prospects columns, head on over to our 2016 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. You can find the rest of my team prospect breakdowns, fantasy baseball prospect rankings, tiered positional rankings, keeper values articles, and more - all in one easy place.

Texas Rangers Top 10 Dynasty Prospects

These are the top ten prospects for the Texas Rangers in terms of fantasy production for fantasy owners in the next few seasons.

1. Lewis Brinson (OF, AAA)
Stats: (from AA) 120 PA, .291/.328/.545, 6 HR, 2 SB, 5.0% BB rate, 23.3% K rate
ETA: 2017
The first of a dynamic duo of outfield prospects for the Texas Rangers, Lewis Brinson may have one of the best power/speed combos this side of Byron Buxton in the minors. Scouts see him as a potential 30-30 player which gives him immense fantasy value. Though he won’t hit for the same high average that his counterpart, Nomar Mazara, might hit for, he can still muster enough contact to make him worth owning in all fantasy leagues. Brinson is a must-own in all dynasty leagues.

2. Nomar Mazara (OF, AAA)
Stats: 88 PA, .358/.409/.444, 1 HR, 0 SB, 5.7% BB rate, 11.4% K rate
ETA: 2017
While Lewis Brinson is waiting his turn to receive the call up and start for the Rangers in centerfield, Nomar Mazara is the Rangers outfielder waiting to play just to the right of him. Mazara doesn’t provide the power/speed combo that Lewis Brinson does, but he will likely hit for a higher average while still providing the same 25+ home run totals that Brinson can contribute. Both outfield prospects are blocked at their main position right now, but eventually the Rangers are going to have to find a way to clear up some room for the two star outfielders. Like Brinson, Mazara ought to be owned in all leagues and owners should count on a promotion to come in 2017.

3. Joey Gallo (3B/OF, MLB)
Stats: 123 PA, .204/.301/.417, 6 HR, 3 SB, 12.2% BB rate, 46.3% K rate
ETA: 2016
No prospect has as much power as Joey Gallo has. But at the same time no prospect strikes out as much as he does. Gallo is the type of hitter who will hit 40+ home runs in a season, but also strike out 200+ times over a year and hit under .250. One big question is whether or not Gallo will start of 2016 with the Rangers to provide some pop of the bench or if he will begin the season in Triple-A to continue to work on his plate discipline. Dynasty owners in need of some added home run totals ought to consider owning Gallo as he is the best power option by far of any prospect, but owners who have enough home run hitters could decide that the high reward is not worth the high risk.

4. Dillon Tate (SP, A)
Stats: 7.0 IP, 1.29 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 6.43 K/9, 0.00 BB/9, 1.29 HR/9
ETA: 2017
The first pitcher taken in the 2015 draft, Dillon Tate is viewed by many as someone who could eventually be the ace of the Texas Rangers’ pitching rotation. He has an electric fastball that sits in the mid-90s and can reach 99 mph and arguably the best slider of any pitcher in the minors that can reach the upper-80s. Tate also possesses excellent command of his pitches which should help him to keep the walks down. Though he will need to make improvements in his changeup and will need to become more durable, Tate is still one of the best pitching prospects in the minors and should be owned in all dynasty leagues.

5. Luis Ortiz (SP, A)
Stats: 50.0 IP, 1.80 ERA, 2.50 FIP, 8.28 K/9, 1.62 BB/9, 0.18 HR/9
ETA: 2018
Though he does not quite have the ceiling of his teammate at A-Ball, Luis Ortiz is just as ownable in dynasty leagues as Dillon Tate. Ortiz does not quite feature the elite one-two combo that Tate possess, but he still has one of the more complete repertoires among Minor League pitchers. His mid-90s fastball is easily his best pitch, but his slider gives him a quality outpitch while his changeup continues to develop. The big thing that scouts praise with Ortiz is the command of his pitches which is far beyond his years. Dynasty owners should not expect him to be the ace of their team, but Ortiz is still too good of a pitcher to pass up in dynasty leagues.

6. Ryan Cordell (SS/3B/OF, AA)
Stats: 242 PA, .217/.263/.335, 5 HR, 10 SB, 5.0% BB rate, 30.2% K rate
ETA: 2017
Before struggling to hit at Double-A, Ryan Cordell tore up A-ball with 13 home runs, 10 stolen bases and a slash line of .311/.376/.528 in 319 plate appearances. Cordell is not the most widely recognized prospect, but he does hold value as a future utility player for dynasty owners. He will likely stay in the outfield, but if he can qualify for multiple positions he would have quite a bit of value in dynasty leagues. Cordell provides a little bit of power, a little bit of speed, and an ability to make consistent contact. He has a ceiling of Ben Zobrist level production and should be considered as a valuable utility guy for dynasty owners.

7. Michael Matuella (SP, NA)
Stats: NA
ETA: 2018
Though he may possess the best repertoire in the Rangers’ loaded farm system, Michael Matuella still possesses a lot of risk associated with owning him. His arsenal of pitches features an electric fastball that typically sits in the mid-90s and can touch the upper-90s, an elite curveball that serves as his primary out pitch, a wipeout slider that gives him a second breaking ball, and a changeup that looks to eventually become a fourth punchout pitch. Matuella also possesses advanced control over all four of his pitches which makes him an even more attractive option for dynasty owners. The problem with him is that he has a history of injury: he had Tommy John surgery last April and a back defect called spondylolysis. Dynasty owners need to understand that even with the health issues, Matuella possesses immense upside. But the health concerns are legitimate and he may be too much of a risk for some dynasty owners to want to take the risk.

8. Yohander Mendez (SP, A)
Stats: 66.1 IP, 2.44 ERA, 2.41 FIP, 10.04 K/9, 2.04 BB/9, 0.27 HR/9
ETA: 2018
Health issues have been the only obstacle that Yohander Mendez has yet to overcome on his path to pitching in the majors. After defecting to the United States, Mendez showed scouts that he has the potential to be a dependable left-handed starter in a Major League rotation. Though his fastball sits in the upper-80s/low-90s and his slider requires some improvement, he has one of the best changeups in the minors and advanced control for someone of his age. If he can stay healthy, Mendez could be a starting pitcher worth owning in dynasty leagues, but right now his health provides too much of a risk for the limited upside on him.

9. Eric Jenkins (OF, A)
Stats: (from R) 205 PA, .249/.342/.339, 0 HR, 27 SB, 11.2% BB rate, 27.8% K rate
ETA: 2019
There is some potential value to be found with Eric Jenkins in dynasty leagues, but it is limited right now. Jenkins is years away from the majors and while he does possess plus speed, he is not an elite base stealer and he needs to continue to progress with his patience at the plate and with his ability to make consistent contact with the ball. Jenkins may eventually have dynasty value, but right now he could be avoided.

10. Travis Demeritte (2B, A)
Stats: 198 PA, .241/.343/.412, 5 HR, 10 SB, 12.6% BB rate, 34.8% K rate
ETA: 2018
A middle infielder with power, Travis Demeritte has some potential to be fantasy relevant for dynasty owners. Demeritte has the kind of power to be able to pop at least 10 home runs per season, probably as many as 15 in a year, and enough speed to perhaps match that total in stolen bases. The biggest issue with Demeritte is his discipline at the plate. Demeritte strikes out at an insane rate and does not provide enough home runs to make up for his high strikeout rates. Dynasty owners should keep an eye on him as he has potential, but right now his lack of discipline prevents him from being worthy of stashing.

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