The Texas Rangers completed a series sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday, winning the first two games of their best-of-three series. In the minor leagues for the Rangers over the last few weeks, they had multiple prospects named to All-Star teams for their respective leagues. Starting in Triple-A, Catcher Sam Huff was named to the All-Star team along with LHP Cody Bradford and RHP Robert Dugger; Bradford was also named Triple-A pitcher of the year. In Double-A, Evan Carter, who is having a postseason to remember for the Rangers, was named an All-Star along with INF Luisangel Acuna, who the Rangers traded to the New York Mets in the Max Scherzer deal, and LHP Antoine Kelly was also named an All-Star in Double-A. In High-A, RHP Josh Stephan was named an All-Star along with 1B Abimelec Ortiz and MVP for the High-A. Chad Comer, the Manager for the Rangers High-A affiliate, was named Manager of the Year. In Single-A, they had one representative, RHP Aidan Curry, who was named an All-Star. Carter is ranked as the eighth overall prospect in all of baseball, and right now, for the Rangers in the playoffs, he is showing why; Carter is also the Rangers’ top prospect. Abimelec Ortiz is ranked as the Rangers’ 14th best prospect, Stephan is ranked 15th, and Kelly is 26th.
2023 All-Stars By The Numbers
Sam Huff
The Rangers drafted Huff in the seventh round of the 2016 draft. In 2023, he spent time between Triple-A and the Rangers. With Triple-A, he appeared in 68 games and slashed .298/.399/.548 with a .947 OPS; he scored 17 doubles, 17 home runs, 67 RBI, 48 runs, and 44 walks. He played in 21 games with the Rangers and slashed .256/.289/.512 with a .801 OPS; he had two doubles, three home runs, six RBI, five runs scored, and two walks.
Cody Bradford
Bradford was drafted in the sixth round in the 2019 draft. He spent time between Triple-A and the Rangers as well. With Triple-A, where he won Pitcher of the Year, he made 14 starts, going 9-2 with a 3.63 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, a 0.7 HR/9, a 1.9 BB/9, and a 7.9 K/9. He appeared in 20 games with the Rangers, making eight starts; he went 4-3 with a 5.30 ERA, a 4.68 FIP, a 1.21 WHIP, a 1.8 HR/9, a 1.9 BB/9, and an 8.2 K/9.
Robert Dugger
Dugger was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 18th round of the 2016 draft and was signed as a Free Agent by the Rangers before the 2023 season. He spent all season in Triple-A, making 29 starts; he went 7-10 with a 4.31 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP, a 1.1 HR/9, a 3.7 BB/9, and an 8.8 K/9.
Evan Carter
Carter was drafted in the second round of the 2020 draft. He spent this season across three levels playing in Rookie Ball, Double-A and Triple-A, and the Rangers where he is now. In Double-A, he slashed .284/.411/.451 with a .862 OPS; he had 15 doubles, six triples, 12 home runs, 62 RBI, 68 runs scored, 74 walks, and 22 stolen bases. With the Rangers, he appeared in 23 games and slashed .306 /.412/.645 with a 1.058 OPS; he had four doubles, one triple, five home runs, 12 RBI, 15 runs scored, three stolen bases, and 12 walks; in the playoffs through the Rangers first two games he is 3-4 with two runs scored, two doubles, a home run, two RBI, three walks and a stolen base.
Luisangel Acuna
Acuna was signed by the Rangers as an International Free Agent in 2018. Before he was traded to the Mets, he appeared in 84 games for the Rangers Double-A affiliate and slashed .315/.377/.453 with a .830 OPS; he had 25 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 51 RBI, 68 runs scored, 37 walks and 42 stolen bases.
Antoine Kelly
Kelly was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 2019 Draft and was acquired by the Rangers in 2022. He appeared in Double-A and Triple-A and combined to make 49 appearances, going 3-1 with 11 saves and a 2.04 ERA; he posted a 1.18 WHIP, a 0.6 HR/9, a 3.6 BB/9, and a 12.4 K/9. With Double-A, where he was named an All-Star, he made 43 appearances, going 3-1 with 11 saves and a 3.38 ERA; he had a 1.16 WHIP, a 0.7 HR/9, a 3.9 BB/9, and a 12. K/9.
Abimelec Ortiz
Ortiz was signed as a Free Agent by the Rangers in 2021. He played for High-A and Single-A, combined to play in 109 games and slashed .294/.371/.619 with a .990 OPS; he had 20 doubles, four triples, 33 home runs, 101 RBI, 78 runs scored, one stolen base, and 49 walks. At High-A, where he was named MVP, he played in 80 games and slashed .290/.363/.624 with a .988 OPS; he had 13 doubles, three triples, 26 home runs, 81 RBI, 59 runs scored, one stolen base, and 33 walks.
Josh Stephan
Stephan was signed by the Rangers in 2020. This season, he played for High-A and Double-A, combined to make 13 appearances, with 12 of those being starts; he went 6-3 with a 2.30 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP, a 1.1 HR/9, a 1.8 BB/9, and a 10.5 K/9. At High-A, he made 12 appearances and 11 starts and went 6-3 with a 2.17 ERA, a 0.80 WHIP, a 1.2 HR/9, a 1.7 BB/9, and a 10.5 K/9.
Chad Comer
Comer is the Manager of the High-A affiliate, the Hickory Crawdads, and he led them to a 70-55 record this season and a first-place finish in the South Atlantic League South Division. Still, they were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by the Greenville Drive. The season’s record and finish led to Comer being named the Manager of the Year in the South Atlantic League.
Aidan Curry
Curry was signed by the Rangers in 2020. He appeared in Single-A and High-A in 2023, making 21 appearances and 17 starts, going 6-3 with a 3.06 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, a 0.7 HR/9, a 4.0 BB/9, and a 10.6 K/9. At Single-A, he made 19 appearances, with 15 being starts; he went 6-3 with a 2.30 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, a 0.4 HR/9, a 3.2 BB/9, and a 10.9 K/9.
Texas Rangers Time is Now
The Rangers will face the Baltimore Orioles starting Saturday and are currently loaded with talent at the Big League level, and they also have a lot of talent in the minor leagues as well. Some names that didn’t get recognition but have bright futures for the Rangers are Wyatt Langford, who ranks second in the system and 13th overall; SS Sebastian Walcott, who is the 62nd overall prospect and third in the Rangers system; RHP Brock Porter, who is 91st overall and fourth in the Rangers system along with RHP Jack Leiter who ranks fifth in the Rangers system. With all this talent, the Rangers may be a problem for opposing major league baseball teams for quite a bit.
