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Texas Rangers 2015 Top 10 Fantasy Prospects

The prospect staff at Fake Teams continues their fantasy prospect rankings and system reviews with an in-depth look at the Texas Rangers.

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Just like last year, the prospect staff here at Fake Teams will be taking an in-depth look at each major league organization, including our top 10 fantasy prospects, an overview of the organization's minor league system as a whole and potential opportunities for playing time in 2015. Our goal is to provide you with more information as you prepare for minor league drafts for dynasty and keeper leagues, as well as look at players that could potentially be worth watching during the spring, as they could be in line to potentially help your fantasy team. We will be reviewing two teams per week until we are through all 30 teams, and you can see the schedule of when your favorite team will be reviewed below. if we have already reviewed the team, a link to the post, along with the team's top prospect is noted.

System Schedule

AL East

AL Central

AL West

NL East

NL Central

NL West

Baltimore
(3/11)

Chicago
(2/11)

Houston
(Correa)

Atlanta
(Sims)

Chicago
(Bryant)

Arizona
(Bradley)

Boston
(3/14)

Cleveland
(2/14)

Los Angeles
(Heaney)

Miami
(Kolek)

Cincinnati
(Stephenson)

Colorado
(Gray)

New York
(3/18)

Detroit
(2/18)

Oakland
(1/31)

New York
(Syndergaard)

Milwaukee
(Taylor)

Los Angeles
(Pederson)

Tampa Bay
(3/21)

Kansas City
(2/21)

Seattle
(Jackson)

Philadelphia
(Crawford)

Pittsburgh
(Glasnow)

San Diego
(Renfroe)

Toronto
(3/25)

Minnesota
(2/25)

Texas
(Today)

Washington
(Giolito)

St. Louis
(Piscotty)

San Francisco
(Crick)

Organizational Overview
by Jason Hunt

Coming off a season where they had missed the playoffs after losing game 163 to the Rays, the Rangers were looking to not only compete in the increasingly difficult AL West, but potentially have another deep run in the playoffs. They were extremely active during the offseason, both in trades and in free agency. They turned one area of organizational depth, middle infield, into another asset they really needed after the 2013 season when they traded team favorite Ian Kinsler to the Tigers for 1B Prince Fielder. They also went out and signed one of the top free agents on the market in Shin-Soo Choo, giving him a seven year contract as well, to replace at least some part of the production lost with the free agency of Nelson Cruz. They even made a bit of an underrated trade in acquiring prospects Michael Choice and Chris Bostick for outfielder Craig Gentry and reliever Josh Lindblom from the division rival Athletics.

The 2014 season played out for the Rangers about as poorly as humanly possible, to the point where fans of their rivals (myself as an A's fan included) wondered what the Rangers did to anger the baseball gods so much. It can't really be overstated just how unlucky the Rangers were in 2014 in terms of injuries. They lost Jurickson Profar for the season during Spring Training, but that was just the beginning. 3B Adrian Beltre missed two weeks in early April, and as soon as he was activated from the disabled list, his replacement (Kevin Kouzmanoff) went on the DL, and missed the rest of the season. Mid-May saw the end of Prince Fielder's season with a herniated disc in his neck, and who had not missed a game in over three years. Even DH Mitch Moreland missed significant time during the season as well, and with that the only regulars to appear in more than 150 games last year were Leonys Martin and Elvis Andrus.

The pitchers weren't immune to the injury bug either. #2 starter Derek Holland was placed on the disabled list during March as well, and didn't return to the team until September. Yu Darvish started the season on the disabled list, but was ready to start game #6 for the team. Unfortunately, his health did not hold up for the full campaign, as he made his last start of the season in the second week of August. Matt Harrison started the season on the disabled list as well, came back to make four starts in late April/early May, and then missed the rest of the season. Starter Martin Perez went down with elbow inflammation in mid-May, and missed the rest of the year. The injuries to the rotation were so bad that Colby Lewis led the team with 29 starts, and was only one of four pitchers to make even 22 starts on the year.

The team struggled to cope with all these injuries, and while they finished the month of May one game over .500, it didn't last as the injuries continued to bury the team. A 15-37 record in June and July essentially ended the team's season when coupled with the strong performances by the Athletics and the Angels, and listed the team as sellers at the trade deadline. While there wasn't a ton of activity from the team, they did manage to take advantage of the struggles of former closer Joe Nathan in Detroit, and sent reliever Joakim Soria in exchange for pitching prospects Jake Thompson and Corey Knebel.

The team was in last place in the division starting in mid-July, behind the previously inept Houston Astros. At the time it was not expected that Ron Washington would lose his job over the performance, and he didn't lose it for that reason. In a season that went poorly for everyone involved, even Washington wasn't immune. He resigned as the manager on September 5th, citing personal reasons, and within two weeks had held a press conference to address the reason: his infidelity to his wife. Interim manager Tim Bogar led the team for the last three weeks, but was not retained as a part of their manager search. They finished overall with a 67-95 record, which will allow them to pick 4th overall in the draft this year.

There were some bright spots on an otherwise difficult season. The team used an inordinate amount of rookies in 2014, with 2B Rougned Odor establishing himself as a potential starter both now and for the future. Starter Yu Darvish pitched excellently while healthy, and the team was able to get their long-term answer in closer Neftali Feliz, who took over when Soria was traded and pitched excellently down the stretch.

The farm system, while not as deep as some previous seasons, remains a point of strength and is expected to provide additional long-term answers with Joey Gallo, Jorge Alfaro, Luke Jackson, Alex Gonzalez and Nomar Mazara all expected to debut at some point in the next two seasons. They should have a very large bonus pool to work with in the 2015 draft from having the #4 overall pick, and having the third-worst record in baseball will also allow them to spend more in the international markets as well. They were not particularly active there in 2014 after spending over four times their allotment in the 2013 signing period, and being penalized for it.

While general manager Jon Daniels remains with the organization through the 2018 season, the team saw AGM A.J. Preller hired by the Padres, and with him went Don Welke to fill the VP of Scouting Operations role. With Bogar not retained, the Rangers ended up hiring the Pirates' bench coach, Jeff Banister, to take over as the manager.

The team is expected to compete in an increasingly difficult division, and should have the capability to go out and get any additional pieces they may need at the deadline. They have to have better luck in 2015 than 2014, simply because it would be almost impossible to have worse. They remain a dangerous team for the rest of the American League, led by potential All-Stars on both sides of the game.

2014 Graduates

The following players have surpassed their rookie maximums of 130 AB, 50 IP, or 45 days of service time.

Nick Martinez (IP), Miles Mikolas (IP), Aaron Poreda (ST), Shawn Tolleson (IP), Roman Mendez (ST), Robinson Chirinos (AB), Jake Smolinski (ST), Rougned Odor (AB), Jim Adduci (ST), Daniel Robertson (AB), Luis Sardinas (ST), Michael Choice (ST), Engel Beltre (AB)

Major League Opportunities in 2015
by Jason Hunt

It seems like the biggest thing that the Rangers can do to improve in 2015 will be to have just a bit more luck in terms of injuries. They'll be looking for better production from first base, which Prince Fielder remains locked into for the next six seasons and who missed 120 games last year. It remains a bit of an open question whether the team will stick with 2014 starter Rougned Odor or go back to former top prospect Jurickson Profar for second base, but how Profar fares during Spring Training will be a key determinant for that position. Within the lineup, the left field and catcher positions could potentially see the biggest upgrades from Jake Smolinski and Robinson Chirinos, respectively. At this point in the offseason though, a trade would be the most likely path to an upgrade before the season starts. It wouldn't surprise me that if both struggle, we could see either of our top two prospects (Gallo and Alfaro) as midseason call-up options.

On the pitching side, the team already went out and got a potentially solid third starter to slot in behind Darvish and Holland with Yovani Gallardo. After resigning Colby Lewis and acquiring Ross Detwiler, the team is well suited to hold down their rotation until Martin Perez could return. If either of Lewis or Detwiler struggle, or a free agent pitcher ends up being left without a chair when the music stops, the organization could upgrade there as well. There is also the possibility that they could call up one of their top pitching prospects, Luke Jackson or Alex Gonzalez, who are both in the high minors already.

Top 10 Fantasy Prospects
by Jason Hunt

Our top 10 fantasy prospect rankings are based upon standard 5x5 fantasy baseball leagues, with a balancing of ceiling and present value. While we are having discussions regarding these lists as a collective group, the top 10 fantasy prospect rankings are finalized by the writer listed above. Players are no longer considered prospects once they exceed either 130 at bats, 50 innings pitched, or 45 days of service time in the Majors.

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1. Joey Gallo (3B)

Photo Credit: Tim Heitman - USA Today Sports
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG R HR RBI SB
0.271 97 42 106 7
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA OBP% SLG% BB% K%
537 0.394 0.615 16.20% 33.33%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE Bats Throws 2014 Levels
20 L R AA-A+
Roster Status: Protect after 2016 Season
ETA to Majors: Late 2015
The second of three first round picks for the Rangers in 2012, Gallo may well turn out to be a steal of a pick at #39 overall. Gallo came into the draft known for his prodigious power potential, although there were questions about how much it would be able to play in game based on a proclivity to swing and miss. Shortly after signing, he went out and broke the Arizona rookie league record with 18 home runs in just 43 games there. He finished his year with 22 total after a three-week stint in the Northwest League, and was sent to the full-season Sally League affiliate in Hickory.

Gallo went out and showed what he was all about there, hitting another 38 home runs there in just 106 games, although with 165 strikeouts and a .245 batting average. Coming into this season, the hope was that he would be able to maintain some of that power production while reducing his strikeout rate from the 37% it finished at in 2013. He did that at High-A Myrtle Beach, striking out just 26% of the time, walking nearly 20% of the time, and hitting 21 home runs in 58 games before a promotion to AA. The jump wasn't out of his realm, as he hit another 21 home runs in 68 games, although with a lower walk rate (still an excellent 12%) and a spike in his strikeout rate back to 39%.

Gallo is, and will continue to remain, known for his power potential, which makes him one of the few players in the minors with an 80-grade potential in that category. The questions about his approach and whether he can reduce his strikeouts enough to provide elite value will remain until he proves it at the major league level. That said, there is the possibility that you have a .260-.270 hitter with a .340-.350 OBP and 40+ home runs on a regular basis. He is blocked in Arlington by Adrian Beltre, so it is possible that we could see him change positions (most likely a corner outfield spot) if the team wants to get him to the majors faster. He'll likely return to AA to start the 2015 campaign, and could be Texas by the end of the season.

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2. Jorge Alfaro (C)

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas - USA Today Sports
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG R HR RBI SB
0.261 75 17 87 6
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA OBP% SLG% BB% K%
536 0.323 0.440 5.41% 22.95%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE Bats Throws 2014 Levels
21 R R A+-AA
Roster Status: On 40 Man Roster (3 Options Left)
ETA to Majors: 2016
We've been hearing a lot about Alfaro almost from the moment he signed out of Colombia back in 2010, and we've now reached the point where we may be on the cusp of seeing him in a major league uniform. After spending all but three games in 2013 at Low-A Hickory, the Rangers moved Alfaro up to High-A to start 2014. He spent 100 games at the level, hitting 13 home runs and posting a .261/.318/.440 slash line. He spent the final month of the year at AA, and posted a similar line in his 21 games there along with four home runs. He even provided a total of six stolen bases this year, all at High-A.

Alfaro's calling card at the plate is his power potential, which could be above-average regardless of position. His career minor league isolated slugging of .170 would place him 12th among our top 30 consensus catchers in 2014, and reports on him point to the potential for 20+ home run seasons in the future. His ability to make consistent contact (and limit strikeouts) will determine how well the power will play, but he can provide at least average production in batting average and on-base percentage. His athleticism distinguishes him from other catching prospects, as he should provide more than a token stolen base or two per season as well, with the potential to approach double-digits in some years. He'll return to AA to start the 2015 season, and after being added to the 40-man roster this offseason, could be in Texas at some point in 2016.

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3. Nomar Mazara (OF)

Photo Credit: Tim Heitman - USA Today Sports
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG R HR RBI SB
0.271 78 22 89 4
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA OBP% SLG% BB% K%
558 0.362 0.478 11.83% 21.68%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE Bats Throws 2014 Levels
19 L L A-AA
Roster Status: Protect after 2015 Season
ETA to Majors: 2016
The Rangers made a huge move in the international market in 2011, spending more money than almost anyone thought was possible, with two of the top three international bonuses signed at the time going to Rangers' players. Mazara was the beneficiary of this, getting a bonus of nearly $5 million from the Rangers in the last year before international spending limits.

He made his professional debut in the Arizona League in 2012, and played the full season in 2013 at Low-A as an 18-year old. The performance there was decent, especially given his age to the level, but was returned there to start the 2014 season. His return engagement to Hickory saw significant improvement, as he cut his strikeout rate and improved an already strong walk rate along with hitting for more power and a higher batting average with a similar BABIP to go with it. The Rangers gave him an aggressive promotion in early August, skipping High-A and going straight to AA. They clearly had a good idea of what he could handle, as he hit .306/.381/.518 with three home runs in 24 games to finish the season.

A corner outfielder, Mazara fits well with what you'd expect from a right fielder down the line: a strong throwing arm to go along with a slugger's profile at the plate. He's expected to be a 20-25 home run hitter in the majors, and provide a good batting average to go along with it. We saw the emergence that has been expected for a while now in 2014, and with a strong return engagement in AA, we could see him in Texas at some point in 2016.

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4. Jake Thompson (RHP)

Photo Credit: Elsa - Getty Images
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
W SV ERA WHIP K
10 0 3.12 1.23 130
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
IP HR/9 GO/AO BB% K%
129.2 0.40 0.97 8.75% 24.21%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE Bats Throws 2014 Levels
20 R R A+-AA
Roster Status: Protect after 2016 Season
ETA to Majors: 2016
One of two pitching prospects acquired from the Tigers in the Joakim Soria trade, the Rangers may have gotten a true steal in Jake Thompson. The Tigers were aggressive with the high school draftee, giving him a full-season assignment in his first full pro season in 2013, where he struck out 91 batters in 83 innings pitched. Moved up to High-A, he pitched well across 16 starts there in 2014 and had a pair of starts at AA Erie before the trade. He finished the season up with the Rangers' AA affiliate in Frisco, where he made six more starts and struck out 44 batters over just 35 innings.

Thompson is a big, hard-throwing Texan who features an above-average fastball, above-average slider, and a changeup that has the potential to be an average offering. There are questions about his long-term role as a pitcher, which seems to stem primarily from the development of his changeup. His delivery isn't quite as smooth and fluid as you'd like to see from a starting pitcher, but I wouldn't say that it will necessarily hinder him at this point. If it all clicks as hoped, Thompson can be a mid-rotation starting pitcher who should provide a high number of innings and solid ratios and strikeouts to go along with it. If he doesn't develop, he still could have value as a high-leverage reliever on the strength of his fastball-slider combination.

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5. Alex Gonzalez (RHP)

Photo Credit: Tim Heitman - USA Today Sports
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
W SV ERA WHIP K
12 0 2.67 1.188 113
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
IP HR/9 GO/AO BB% K%
138 0.40 1.59 7.01% 19.32%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE Bats Throws 2014 Levels
22 R R AA-A+
Roster Status: Protect after 2016 Season
ETA to Majors: 2016
The Rangers' top draft pick in 2013 out of Oral Roberts University, Gonzalez was considered a very polished college starter when he was taken with the 23rd overall pick. After finishing his season at High-A in 2013, he returned to Myrtle Beach to make 11 starts before being promoted to AA for his last 14 starts this year. The strikeout numbers look a little lower than ideal for a high-end starting pitcher, but he still finished with 113 over 138 innings across both stops.

Gonzalez features a four-pitch mix with a fastball, changeup, curveball and slider, with the fastball being his best offering by far. He generates a ton of groundballs with the fastball, which gets a ton of downward movement when he wants it. The slider is his second-best offering, and helps him generate a decent amount of swinging strikes as well. Developmentally, he's likely just about done with the minor leagues, although it's not clear that he will have the opportunity to win a rotation spot in 2015. He'll likely return to AA, with a mid-season promotion to AAA likely as well. When given a full-time starting spot, I can see Gonzalez providing around 150-175 strikeouts (over 200+ innings) with solid ratios.

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6. Nick Williams (OF)

Photo Credit: Christian Petersen - Getty Images
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG R HR RBI SB
0.283 68 13 74 6
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA OBP% SLG% BB% K%
486 0.331 0.462 4.53% 28.81%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE Bats Throws 2014 Levels
20 L L A+-AA-Rk
Roster Status: Protect after 2016 Season
ETA to Majors: 2016
A 2012 draftee, Williams remains more of a dream at this point than completely polished production. After spending the 2013 season at full-season Low-A, the Rangers moved him up to High-A Myrtle Beach, where he hit .292 with 13 home runs, 68 RBI, and a rather ridiculous looking 117:19 K/BB rate over 94 games. He was promoted to AA for the last few weeks of the season, where he hit .226/.250/.290 in a short 15 game stint there.

Williams' calling card to fantasy relevance in the majors will start with his potential for a high batting average. He has hit .293 as a professional so far, and reports on him rave about both his excellent bat speed as well as his excellent ability to make contact on almost any pitch he wants. However, there are concerns about his overall approach at the plate. Despite that ability to make solid contact so much, he strikes out a ton (generally around 28% so far in the minors), and walks very infrequently. It could be that he hasn't needed to draw walks (between the bat speed and contact ability), but it doesn't really make me feel warm and fuzzy seeing that much of a disparity. He's extremely athletic, which generally helps him out across the game, but is expected to be limited to left field defensively based on his arm strength.

The best case scenario for Williams is that he hits around .290-.300 with 15-20 home runs and potentially a decent amount of stolen bases. Reports on his raw speed point to an above-average runner, but it's not clear from the performance or the reports really that he can translate that into a high stolen base total in the majors. AA should be a very good test for him, as he'll either be completely exposed, or make the adjustments needed to move him into the stratosphere.

7. Luke Jackson (RHP)

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
W SV ERA WHIP K
9 1 5.41 1.35 126
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
IP HR/9 GO/AO BB% K%
123 1.00 1.05 9.70% 23.51%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE Bats Throws 2014 Levels
22 R R AA-AAA
Roster Status: On 40 Man Roster (2 Options Left)
ETA to Majors: Late 2015

Drafted by the Rangers back in 2010, Jackson has been slowly plugging away at about a season per level, with his first stop being repeated for part of 2012. He started the 2014 season at AA after throwing 27 innings there to finish up 2013, and was excellent over 83 innings. He finished his stint at the level with a strikeout per inning, a solid 2.6 BB/9 and just 58 hits allowed before his promotion to AAA Round Rock. It was at this point that his season derailed, as he made 10 starts at AAA, allowed a 10.35 ERA (you didn't read that wrong), nine home runs, 56 hits and 28 walks against 43 strikeouts in 40 innings pitched.

The questions around Jackson coming into 2014 stemmed from his offspeed offerings, as he features a curveball, slider and changeup that are all still inconsistent offerings. His fastball remains his best pitch fairly easily, sits in the mid-90s, and can touch the high-90s at times as well. It sounds like the questions remain the same after the 2014 season, but the potential for a mid-rotation starting pitcher remains. This quote from Lone Star Ball's Tepid Participation gives me hope that he will continue to develop toward that end:

I spoke with [Luke] after the season and he said his stuff felt fine in AAA. He just has to adjust to more disciplined hitters and smaller strike zones- that's the way it's gonna be. I'm not worried about Luke.

Jackson was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, and could be in line for a shot at a rotation spot at some point in the 2015 season. He'll likely head back to AAA with hopes for a better second go-around. Until he can show a bit more in terms of control, he'll most likely slot in as a streaming option in shallow formats and a back-end fantasy starter in deeper ones. There is interesting strikeout potential there, but the possibility of him being a reliever long-term tempers expectations on him.

8. Luis Ortiz (RHP)

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
W SV ERA WHIP K
1 1 1.77 1.08 19
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
IP HR/9 GO/AO BB% K%
20.1 0.40 0.52 7.23% 22.89%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE Bats Throws 2014 Levels
18 R R Rk-A
Roster Status: Protect after 2018 Season
ETA to Majors: 2019
The top pick for the Rangers in last year's draft, Ortiz threw just 21 innings as a professional in 2014. He spent most of that time in Arizona, but did finish the year with a seven inning stint at full-season Hickory. He features a fastball-slider-changeup mix, with both the fastball and slider considered above-average offerings in the future. He's a long way from the majors right now, but gets excellent reviews about both how polished he already is for a high school pitcher and his competitiveness on the mound. There's the potential for a mid-rotation starting pitcher for both the Rangers and fantasy owners, but we should get a better idea if and when that could happen after a full complement of innings in 2015.

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9. Lewis Brinson (OF)

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas - USA Today Sports
2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG R HR RBI SB
0.288 53 13 50 12
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA OBP% SLG% BB% K%
385 0.354 0.458 8.57% 24.94%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE Bats Throws 2014 Levels
20 R R A+-A
Roster Status: Protect after 2016 Season
ETA to Majors: 2017
Brinson remains an enigma for fantasy owners, as they try to determine what he really is going to be when he is in the majors. He posted an obscene strikeout rate in 2013 at Hickory (38%), and while he provided counting stats (21 HR, 24 SB), it came with an anchor of a batting average that kept his raw tools from potentially playing even higher. He returned to Hickory to start the 2014 season, and fared much better. He unfortunately missed time in May and June with a quad injury, but returned strong and was promoted to High-A in early July.

The question with Brinson at this point is how well he will be able to translate his raw tools into production on the field. He's considered a true five-tool athlete, but questions about his approach at the plate may lead to less power and speed than you'd initially think for an athlete like him. If it all clicks, it could be a solid batting average with 20+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases on a regular basis. The odds at this point though would point to the batting average being below average, and potentially moving the counting stats down a bit. The improvements he made this year paint a positive picture, as he reduced his strikeout rate overall to a more reasonable level (25% this year), and I wouldn't bet against him turning into a very useful fantasy outfielder down the line. He'll likely head back to High-A to start the year, and could finish up at AA if he hits well in the first half of the season.

10. Travis Demeritte (2B)

2014 FANTASY STATISTICS
AVG R HR RBI SB
0.211 77 25 66 6
2014 SECONDARY STATISTICS
PA OBP% SLG% BB% K%
466 0.310 0.450 10.73% 36.70%
OTHER INFORMATION
AGE Bats Throws 2014 Levels
19 R R A
Roster Status: Protect after 2017 Season
ETA to Majors: 2017

Tell me if you have heard this before: The Rangers have a middle infield prospect who has shown a ton of raw tools, but may not yet be ready to translate them into cross-category production after just one pro season. Travis Demeritte played second base primarily in 2014 for Hickory, struck out 171 times in 118 games, but also provided 25 home runs and a .239 isolated slugging percentage. Before signing, he was viewed as having the tools to provide above-average production as a hitter, although it seems to this point that he has not been able to put them all to use together. This isn't a knock on him, as that's not unexpected from a young player like Demeritte, but more an observation about how some have played up more than others.

Long term, Demeritte has the potential to provide batting average and home run production, although they may balance each other out if he doesn't push for one more than the other like it appears he did this season. If he settles in as a .260-.270 hitter with 15-20 home runs, that will likely be around the top 10 most years at second base. He could see a promotion to High-A to start 2015, although it wouldn't surprise me if he went the same route as Brinson and returned to Hickory to really have a strong performance.



Other Interesting Prospects
by Jason Hunt

Delino DeShields Jr. - A former first round pick, DeShields is in this strange spot where he may not hit enough to allow his speed to play to its' full potential. The Astros left him unprotected from the 40-man roster in November, and the Rangers will need to keep him on the 25 man roster all year to retain him, but with him converting to the outfield full time there may be an opportunity to use him as a fourth outfielder all season and send him back to the minors in 2016.

Ti'Quan Forbes - A supplemental first round pick for the Rangers in 2014, Forbes is a long way from the majors right now as a high school draftee, but could jump into the top 10 in 2015 with a strong year. He has the potential to hit for both average and power down the line, but the tools aren't so loud as to warrant moving him into the top 10 just yet.

Alec Asher - Asher reached AA in the 2014 campaign, and in each of his three professional seasons has posted solid but not spectacular numbers while moving up a level each time. There seem to be enough questions in a deep system to keep him out of the top 10, but he's a name to watch as a potential streaming option down the line right now, and could show more potentially at AAA this year.

About the Authors

Jason Hunt is a contributing writer for Fake Teams, specializing in the minor leagues and prospects
Follow him on Twitter 

Brian Creagh is a contributing writer for Fake Teams, specializing in fantasy baseball and the minor leagues.
Follow him on Twitter 

David Spracale is a contributing writer for Fake Teams, specializing in fantasy baseball and the minor leagues.
Follow him on Twitter