Under the Radar Prospects: Rangers

The Texas Rangers are the subjects of this week’s installment of Under the Radar Prospects

The Texas Rangers are the subjects of this week’s installment of Under the Radar Prospects in which five unheralded players within a team system are identified as players to watch out for. Among the five players this week are two outfielders dominating in short-season, a talented outfielder outperforming expectations, and two hurlers who are decimating opposing hitters.

Braylin Morel, OF - Texas Rangers

The Rangers signed Braylin Morel during the 2023 international signing period. Morel made his professional debut later that year and had an impressive showing as he hit .344/.417/.644 with 7 HR over 204 plate appearances, all as a 17-year old. Morel’s 168 wRC+ was the 7th best and 1.061 OPS was the 4th best among the 300 qualifying players in the DSL.

Now an 18-year old, Morel has made a seamless transition stateside as he is currently hitting .307/.407/.575 with 7 HR and 12 stolen bases through 41 games. Morel’s offensive tools have the potential to be well above-average as he possesses a solid contact ability and immense raw power. However, his defense in the outfield is a work in progress and there are questions if he’ll slow down as he ages, potentially necessitating a future move to first base.

Alejandro Osuna, OF - Texas Rangers

The Rangers picked out Alejando Osuna in September of 2022. Since that time, Osuna has been one of the most consistent offensive performers in the Rangers system, quietly advancing his way through Texas’ system. According to scouts, Osuna doesn’t project to hit for much power but he has a feel for finding the barrel which leads to some occasional pop. This past offseason, Osuna underwent shoulder surgery, but that hasn’t dampened his output. On the contrary, Osuna is currently producing the highest slugging percentage of his professional career.

The 21-year old Osuna started the season repeating in High-A. After 45 games, Osuna was hitting .272/.339/.486 with 9 HR and 10 stolen bases. However, his walk rate has plummeted with a concerning rise in strikeouts; Osuna had a 15.2 BB% and a 22.1 K% in 2023, however his walks have dropped to 7.1% and his strikeouts are up to 26.5 K%. Osuna was recently awarded with a promotion to Double-A, where he is off to a hot start as he has 12 hits, including a homerun, in his first 32 trips to the plate.