MLB Draft: A Look At The Rangers Of The Future

The Texas Rangers  are the defending American League champions. They lead the AL West and have looked like a powerhouse since seeing Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton return from the disabled list.

It's not surprising, then, that fans aren't hearing quite as much about the franchise's prospects as they did years ago. Gone are the days of a fan base losing hope for contention in July. Gone are trade-deadline "everything must go" sales. Thankfully, though, prospects remain.

I spoke with Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus and Texas Farm Review, who was kind enough to lend his insight on some of the topics and players in the Rangers' system.

It didn't seem like many Ranger prospects stepped forward in 2010, but 2011 has been a different story altogether. Players all across the system are seeing their stocks rise, buoyed by gaudy stat lines and improving tools.

Parks especially cited Neil Ramirez, a pitcher drafted out of high school in 2007 whose suddenly intense work ethic has overcome years spent struggling with command issues. Ramirez had never pitched above A-Ball before this season, but after one dominating start in High-A he's been elevated to AAA Round Rock, where he's flashing three good pitches and a 3.44 ERA. Ramirez has exploded onto the prospect scene like few others in the league.

The Rangers' top prospect is also turning heads. Martin Perez turned 20 on April 4^th and is one of the youngest players in AA. After what some considered a middling performance in Frisco last year, Perez has thrown with greater control and consistency on his way to a 2.6 ERA – and many guesses he's due for a promotion in the near future. The lefty throws a 92-96 MPH fastball that has topped out at 98 and a changeup and curve which both project as above-average. He's also started throwing a two-seam fastball, by some reports. Parks' take: "it looks like he needs a greater challenge than AA." Again… he's barely 20 years old.

When the Rangers spent a 2009  third rounder on diminutive high school leftie Robbie Erlin, he wasn't considered a flashy draft pick. Two years later, he's blossomed into one of the most compelling pitchers in the minor leagues. According to Parks, despite his lack of seasoning Erlin "may be more ready than Perez." He's a horse who does nothing but "eat baseballs" and cares for nothing but "attacking hitters."

Erlin doesn't have phenomenal stuff, but has a very deep arsenal. He can cut, sink and tail his fastball and his ability to pitch is special. He also hits his spots very well. While he's not an intimidator like Neftali Feliz, he has an ability to make hitters uncomfortable. In that sense, he's similar to former Ranger great and current Phillie Cliff Lee. Jason said Erlin needs to face advanced competition, as he stands out too much at the lower levels. He was convinced the 20-year old would wear a Ranger uniform sometime in 2012.

With that being said, Erlin tends to get smacked around when he misses his spots. He lives by command and sequence, but his pitches aren't overwhelming, so if one hangs, slips or loses its bite he's likely to spin around and gaze at a ball traveling far, far away.

One final anecdote: Erlin has struck out 196 hitters in his minor league career. He's walked 25.

There have been two major exceptions to the Rangers' system-wide improvement in 2011. The first is centerfielder Engel Beltre, who has spiraled between poor play, a suspension for throwing a trash can at a fan and a move to right field. Through no fault of his own, the second is Tanner Scheppers.

The 6'4 right hander throws two dynamite pitches, a fastball that has touched 100 MPH and a vicious curve. Unfortunately, he's been cursed with injury issues to his shoulders and back throughout his brief career. The most worrying aspect – back injuries can take forever and just linger, similar to hamstring injuries (Think Nelson Cruz.)

Parks says there is concern about Scheppers ever being at full strength. But he thinks when Scheppers returns from his most recent trip to the trainer's table, he will no longer be seen as a starter. The workload is not right for him, and the lack of a third pitch makes it difficult for him to succeed multiple times through a lineup. This would seem to work well with the Rangers' urgent need for bullpen help.

The only way to adjust to major-league pitching is at the major league level. Scheppers' two primary pitches are so good he could contribute very quickly if the transition to relief work was made. After a few appearances in AAA, he could be ready for a callup. Parks maintains he is the closest to contributing of any significant Rangers prospect.

Of course, that all assumes Scheppers returns in full health. Based on his track record, that may be too much to hope for.

Much has been made of the Rangers' newest international signee, 15.5 million dollar man Leonys Martin. The 23-year old centerfielder is highly touted and has quite simply overmatched AA pitching, even coming off a long layoff from baseball. Keep this in mind: Martin faced a lot of legitimate talent during his time in Cuba. He should probably be in AAA at this stage, and is on the short list for a September callup.

Parks thinks Martin could make for a great late-season catalyst. Teams have yet to assemble a true scouting report on him, so he could make a quick impact.

Under the category of 'good problems to have:' Julio Borbon played well before getting injured and Endy Chavez has impressed in his short big-league stint. There's also the matter of one Josh Hamilton, who's a fairly decent player himself. So Martin's role on the 2011 club is uncertain.

For a more thorough look at Martin, check out this Q&A done with Jason Cole several weeks ago.

While he's no longer a prospect, a lot of attention has been paid to Neftali Feliz's struggles this year. The Dominican righthander who had never struggled on the mound before this year has walked more than he's struck out this year and truly looked helpless against right-handed hitters. Parks' diagnosis: He's throwing, not pitching. There have been flashes when Feliz looked like he was developing into a pitcher, but he's never truly put it together. It's not entirely his fault, as he was rushed through the minor leagues because of his dominating fastball. As a result, his secondary pitches suffered.  It's simply a factor of contention; long-term development becomes a tertiary concern during a pennant run.  The tenures of GMs and managers don't always last long enough to take advantage of that future. For Feliz, developing finesse will be tough when he was never taught to show it.

The Rangers' ace in the hole is actually built upon having several loaded decks. Parks says the talent in low levels of Rangers minor league system trumps that of any team in the league. The franchise's  depth in the Dominican League and Short Season League is "insane." These levels are anchored by players like pitchers David Perez and Victor Payano, and catcher Jorge Alfaro who are, in his opinion, "Going to be very, very, very good."

One of the more frightening terms coined by legendary Baseball Prospectus writer Nate Silver was the acronym TINSTAAPP – "There is no such thing as a pitching prospect." While this is obviously hyperbole, it puts into context the level of risk with projecting young players to great things. With that being said, it's near impossible to build a winning franchise without a solid farm system. And based on what the Rangers' minor league clubs are boasting, the Texas Rangers' newfound habit of winning could be one that sticks.

Check out Jason Parks' work on his site, Texas Farm Review or on Baseball Prospectus.