Spring training is coming to a close before too long, but not before I had the opportunity to get out to Surprise and spend a few days with some great people and players. Before we start it off though, I want to emphasize this; if you ever have even the slightest opening to go to Arizona and watch these young dudes play, do it. It's a completely different experience than I've ever had watching baseball and it really changed how I viewed my knowledge of the sport and my passion for the spot for the better. In addition to being right up and close to people like Cole Hamels or Prince Fielder, you get a unique inside view of how the players interact with each other and their coaches. For example, I was able to listen in on Dillon Tate and a fellow pitcher from the Mariners org talk about how their approaches to individual At-bats have changed since they were introduced to professional hitters. When you get to listen in on these conversations it creates a link and an extreme longing for the little Rangers to succeed.

Now, Tepid has already given you guys a smorgasbord of prospect information, but I am going to attempt to shove some more in there. I got a lot of good looks at these guys and I was able to talk to some ++ baseball minds about these up and coming Texas Ranger prospects.

Eric Jenkins

I'm going to start out with my "breakout" pick for the year, the young and talented Eric Jenkins. He is 19 years old and listed at 6'1 170 pounds, but they might be a bit generous on the weight. He has a skinny frame and there is definitely room to put on some muscle. I'd guess his eventual playing weight will be around 185, which will give him a bit extra pop and won't weight his body down too much. The tool we know about is the speed as he stole 28 bases in 31 attempts last season between rookie leagues and Hickory. The tool that is hard to see on Baseball Reference is how consistently hard he hits the ball. I expected to see a lot of grounders and soft line drives from Jenkins during his BP sessions, but what I actually saw was a kid scorching the ball to all fields, many bouncing off the fence in one hop. It completely changed my view of Jenkins and what kind of player he can become. The hit tool is solid and it is not hard to see a future where Jenkins is able to drop 10-15 dingers per season. The hit tool is also bolstered by the advanced plate approach, a 10.7% BB rate. The strikeout rate is still a bit high, but that isn't exactly surprising when you see how hard he swings. Jenkins is 19 and will most likely be starting the year at Hickory. It's a talented team this season and although not quite as loud at the 2013 crew, it should be one of the top teams to watch in the minor leagues.

Ti'Quan Forbes

Had it not been for Eric Jenkins performance, the 19 year old Forbes would have been my pick for a minor league breakout season. The dude is a physical specimen at 6'3 180 pounds, projectability is a phrase you're gunna hear a lot with this kid. Ti'Quan is a third baseman and everyone in the org knows it, including Ti'Quan. He has a lot of frame to build weight on and could easily get to 215 and still look athletic. His hit tool is a question, but during my time there his swing looked a lot more polished than the reports I had read on him last year. The potential for raw power is there and if he can polish the glove and bat a bit he is knocking on the top 100 prospect lists everywhere. Ti'Quan is most likely going to be in Hickory next year starting at third base and that's pretty good for a 19 year old. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he goes and puts up a .290/.340/.440 season and plays much improved defense. There are certainly some questions though due to his ISO hovering around .080 and the next two seasons are the years he's going to need to make those shifts. Something bigger maybe is that Ti'Quan is someone worth rooting for. Every time I saw Forbes he was making teammates and coaches laugh or working hard at one of the facets of the game. He genuinely seemed like a good fellow and the more of those you have on the team at some point the better. Now, here's Forbes absolutely leveling a ball.

Ledarious Clark

I don't have too much to say about Ledarious, but what I do have to say is mostly good. This is the first time I have seen the 5'10 185 outfielder and man they were not kidding about how athletic he looks. His shoulders are very broad on his otherwise athletic frame and it's not hard to see why the Rangers liked him. That being said he still looks a bit skinny in the butt and legs, so if he puts on weight there he could develop even more power/speed. He is fast, but he didn't seem to have a great grasp on timing pitchers which may lead to struggling with stealing bags later on in the org. His glove should play in all three fields although he's definitely more of a fit in left field. At 22 and most likely starting the year in Hickory, he's got a lot to prove. Realistically I think we are looking at a really good 4th outfielder on a first division team or a starter for a 2nd division team as a peak, but it is possible that he can outrun that expectation. Just a warning for parents, there's an accidental F-bomb in this video.

Yeyson Yrizzari

Lastly I'm going to touch on Yeyson because I have been such a harsh critic on him in the past. His numbers leave a lot to be desired, but seeing him in person has changed my view on the kid and I have hope for him. He's a solidly built guy with a monster arm and a wicked advanced glove for his age. He's got the build for 15 home run power, but his approach and swing are years behind his maturity and fielding. As Tepid put it, "he swings like a shortstop" and I honestly could not put it a better way. He jumps out on his front leg and hardly uses his hips at all in his normal swing. The hope comes from the flashes of a pretty swing I saw during BP and in the minor league games. From time to time he would really load the hips with a slight leg kick, stay on his back leg more during the swing, and unload on a ball. If he can have one season where he swings like that more he's a top 100 guy no problem.

Final Thoughts

The future is bright even looking beyond our big 3. Tater and Matuella are both going to be getting some exposure this season, younger Rangers are starting to mature into their stronger adult forms, and the lotto picks are playing some good ball. I really expect to see this farm continue to be a massive strength for the Texas Rangers for years to come.

I also want to send out a big thanks to @TepidP as he's been a bigger help to me than I ever could have imagined.

See you guys in Frisco or Arlington this year!