CHICAGO -- A month into his major league career, it would be unfair to compare Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the guy who became the franchise's model player, who holds most of the team's longevity and offensive records.

But, man, there is just something about him that is reminiscent of the way Michael Young played the game.

He didn't hit like Young did in the minors. He doesn't seem to have the pop in his bat that Young displayed. Still, there is something.

And let's get into that because do you really want to read the details of how the Rangers blew an eighth-inning lead with four unearned runs and lost to the worst team in baseball, the Chicago White Sox, 4-2 on Thursday.

OK, here goes: Jose Leclerc made his second throwing error of the week, then walked three batters -- one intentional -- to force in the tying run. One of the walks came on a very close pitch that led to Leclerc's removal from the game and Jeff Banister's ejection after he made the pitching move.

OK, back to Kiner-Falefa, who reached base three times:

"He will get the most out of his ability because of his awareness and anticipation," a long-time AL talent evaluator said Thursday. "He plays beyond his measurables, is versatile and trustworthy."

Ah, yes, that's it.

For lack of a better term, there is a similarity in body language to the rookie Young. There was a confidence and a curiosity. There was a purposefulness to his preparation that seemed off the scale.

While opinions differ on Kiner-Falefa's long-term status -- the same scout suggested he'd carve a place for himself on the roster but would not have an everyday spot -- after a month the consensus seems to be Kiner-Falefa will maximize his ability.

On this point, Young agrees.

"It's easy to pull for kids you know will get every last drop out of their ability," Young said Thursday. "You know that about him, and it's comforting to know. He plays hard. There has been legitimate improvement every season we've had him. I hope that his career trajectory stays that way.

"The league is going to present challenges to him, but I feel like he doesn't ever waste [opportunities to learn]. He takes everything he experiences and learns from it. That allows for guys to make quick adjustments. And guys who make quick adjustments have success in this league."

There is no doubt that as minor leaguers Young showed more offensive ability. He had a 20-point edge in batting average (.296-.276) and more than a 100-point advantage in OPS (.817-.678). But Kiner-Falefa has actually had a slightly better start than Young to his major league career -- not that a 31-game sample determines anything.

After Thursday, Kiner-Falefa is hitting .261 with a .709 OPS. At the same time in his first season, Young was hitting .214 with just a .532 OPS. Offensively, Young struggled through his first two seasons in the majors. But remember that part about not wasting opportunities to learn?

"Going to my third year, I felt like every lesson I had learned, I was about to put to use," Young said. "And I feel like I did. He is learning and improving. It's fun to watch. He is self-motivated. He wants it. He's hungry. Teammates see it."

Oh, they do. After Kiner-Falefa made two sharp base running plays to score runs during the Rangers' series against Seattle, Adrian Beltre interrupted a question about the base running to take a more general approach to evaluating the young player.

"It's not just his base running," Beltre said. "It's everything. It's everything about this kid. He asks the right questions. He thinks through things ahead of time. He does the right thing. Everything you want in a young kid, he does it. He wants to stay up here, and he's doing everything he can to make sure he does."