Texas Rangers 2025 Spring Training Thread

[WastinSomeTime]

This is not meant to be any kind of political statement, as I am certainly not a fan of affirmative action or quotas, but I think it is exciting that the Rangers will have two black young men make the club as pitchers who deserve to make the club. I am sure it will energize and grow our fan base and it is good for the sport in general.

It is a shame that young black boys have lost interest in baseball over the years. Some of our most exciting prospects used to be guys like Bump Wills, Billy Sample, Darren Oliver and Oddibe McDowell. I hope the sport will continue to grow in popularity within the black community.

I think many prefer basketball first and then football.

 

[Kelleyman]

ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS. This is what I fear for Evan Carter​

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Church and Garabito have made the roster.

Garabito stinks

 

[saddles]

Garabito stinks

I think when Murphy is ready that Garabito goes back to the minors. Possibly Latz or Dunning takes his place at some point, too. I guess Teodo is a possibility, as well

 

[Kelleyman]

I think when Murphy is ready that Garabito goes back to the minors. Possibly Latz or Dunning takes his place at some point, too. I guess Teodo is a possibility, as well

Guess they don’t have to open up a roster spot immediately

 

[Duane1952]

ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS. This is what I fear for Evan Carter​

Just hoping that these back issues don’t end his career.

 

[Billybass]

Has anybody noticed that Rocker looks like Bob Gibson ?
Or that Langford looks like trout ?

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Has anybody noticed that Rocker looks like Bob Gibson ?
Or that Langford looks like trout ?

Funny you say that because a couple days ago I said Langford could be the next Mike Trout. Trout had more time to get ready in the minors but I expect a great year for Langford. Just hope he stays healthier than Trout.
I was a big Bob Gibson fan so I can see why you say that.

 

[saddles]

Don't forget to go to the prediction thread and make some predictions about this season.

 

[scotsman#1948]

everybody can relax the Rangers WILL NOT be trading for Jordan Montgomery. Montgomery will have TJS next week

 

[saddles]

everybody can relax the Rangers WILL NOT be trading for Jordan Montgomery. Montgomery will have TJS next week

I can see CY signing him in about 8 or 9 months, though.

 

[saddles]

Forbes Most Valuable MLB Teams 2025 List — What All 30 Clubs Are Worth

Forbes ranks Major League Baseball's most valuable teams, from the New York Yankees to the Miami Marlins. See why MLB clubs are growing slower than their NFL and NBA rivals.

www.forbes.com

Forbes team valuations for 2025 are out. The Rangers are 12th and valued at $2.45 billion. The Rangers had an operating loss last year of $38 million.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

everybody can relax the Rangers WILL NOT be trading for Jordan Montgomery. Montgomery will have TJS next week

We heard that yesterday and I had wanted us to work out a deal for him but so glad now we didn't.

 

[saddles]

This is a very in-depth article by Adam Morris about where exactly the payroll sits for CBT purposes.

Texas Rangers 2025 Opening Day Payroll

Taking a look at the Rangers’ payroll to start the 2025 season

www.lonestarball.com

 

[saddles]

Prepbaseballreport.com has their latest draft board out. Here is their top 20.

RANK	PLAYER	POS.	SCHOOL
1	Ethan Holliday	SS	Stillwater HS (OK)
2	Aiva Arquette	SS	Oregon State
3	Jamie Arnold	LHP	Florida State
4	Seth Hernandez	RHP	Corona HS (CA)
5	Cameron Appenzeller	LHP	Glenwood HS (IL)
6	Brady Ebel	SS	Corona HS (CA)
7	Kayson Cunningham	SS	S.A. Johnson HS (TX)
8	Billy Carlson	SS	Corona HS (CA)
9	Josh Hammond	SS	Wesleyan Christian Academy HS (NC)
10	Eli Willits	SS	Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK)
11	Xavier Neyens	3B	Mount Vernon (WA)
12	Tyler Bremner	RHP	UC Santa Barbara
13	Jace LaViolette	OF	Texas A&M
14	Luke Stevenson*	C	North Carolina
15	Liam Doyle	LHP	Tennessee
16	Kyson Witherspoon	RHP	Oklahoma
17	Brayden Jaksa	C	Irvington HS (CA)
18	Jaden Fauske	C	Nazareth Academy HS (IL)
19	Kruz Schoolcraft	LHP	Sunset HS (OR)
20	AJ Russell	RHP	Tennessee

 

[saddles]

Prepbaseballreport.com has the Rangers taking SS Eli Willits at #12.

 

[Kelleyman]

Funny you say that because a couple days ago I said Langford could be the next Mike Trout. Trout had more time to get ready in the minors but I expect a great year for Langford. Just hope he stays healthier than Trout.
I was a big Bob Gibson fan so I can see why you say that.

Gibson was the first beast of a player I watched on TV in rehearsal World Series

Likely black and white TV. Definitely day games

 

[Kelleyman]

Prepbaseballreport.com has the Rangers taking SS Eli Willits at #12.

I thought the kid with A&M was supposed to be a big elite talent

 

[saddles]

I thought the kid with A&M was supposed to be a big elite talent

That depends on who you ask and when you asked them. The most recent BA board has him 9th and Just Baseball has him 16th. Those are both from recent rankings.

 

[saddles]

From the Frisco Roughriders:

Rangers top prospect, shortstop Sebastian Walcott, makes his highly-anticipated return to Frisco after an electrifying five-game stint in 2024. The 19-year-old from The Bahamas was a High-A South Atlantic League All-Star and Futures Game selection in 2024.

2024 Tom Grieve Player of the Year Alejandro Osuna (No. 8 prospect) will start in Frisco after earning Texas League All-Star honors in 2024. Following his promotion from High-A Hickory on June 28, Osuna led the league in hits (72), runs (46) and doubles (18).

The starting tandem of RHP Winston Santos (No. 5) and LHP Kohl Drake (No. 13) also returns to open 2025. Santos held opponents to a .221 batting average in 2024 while Drake struck out 148 batters, the most by a Rangers prospect since RoughRiders pitcher Cody Buckel in 2012.

Other ranked Rangers prospects on the roster include 1B Abimelec Ortiz (No. 14), SS Cam Cauley (No. 19), LHP Mitch Bratt (No. 21), RHP Josh Stephan (No. 22), RHP Skylar Hales (No. 26). Cauley is the lone newcomer to the group after clubbing 35 extra-base hits and stealing 27 bases with Hickory in 2024.

The RoughRiders roster also features 23 returners, 14 of whom are pitchers. RHP Ben Anderson led the team with 20 starts and six quality starts and returns in 2025. 2024 Rangers Minor League Reliever of the Year LHP Bryan Magdaleno is back in the bullpen after posting a 1.27 ERA in 2024.

The experienced trio of LHP Robby Ahlstrom, RHP Steven Jennings and LHP Avery Weems are back with a combined 99 appearances and 17 starts as RoughRiders. Weems was a member of Frisco’s 2022 Texas League Championship team.

RHP Ryan Lobus and RHP Gavin Collyer break camp after making five combined appearances with Frisco last September.

Behind the plate, Tucker Mitchell and Cooper Johnson are back after helping Frisco’s unit cede to just 101 steals in 2024, tied for the fewest among full-season Minor League teams. Ian Moller rounds out the catching core and is set to make his Double-A debut after playing 84 games with High-A Hickory last season.

Along with Walcott and Ortiz, the infield returns Frainyer Chavez, Keyber Rodriguez and Alex De Goti. De Goti played two games with the Astros in 2021.

All four outfielders – Josh Hatcher, Luis Mieses, Aaron Zavala and Osuna – were RoughRiders in at least 2024. Hatcher ranked second among qualified Double-A hitters in batting average (.300) last season.

Four Rangers offseason signings – RHP Trey Supak, RHP Daniel Missaki, RHP Travis MacGregor and RHP Peyton Gray – break camp with Frisco to round out the bullpen.

Supak and Missaki pitched in the Cubs organization with Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa (Cubs) last season, which was Missaki’s first in MiLB since 2015. Missaki pitched for Brazil in the 2013 World Baseball Classic at 16 years old, the youngest in the tournament.

MacGregor’s last 68 appearances, including five starts, have come at the Triple-A level with Indianapolis (Pirates) and Salt Lake (Angels). Gray returns to Minor League Baseball for the first time since 2021, pitching in independent ball and the Mexican Pacific Winter League since.