Having read through all of the good stuff that Aaron Fitt has written on the Texas system and discussing it among ourselves, here are a few important conclusions that I think we can safely draw:
- John Danks and Eric Hurley are the two most highly regarded prospects in the organization at the moment, and the widely held feeling is that Hurley has the edge in upside because of his power stuff but Danks is the surer thing of the two because of his polish and repertoire.
- Edinson Volquez and Thomas Diamond have fallen back from the top two and have some similar things to prove - chief among them better command and an improved breaking ball - before they can regain their status. The popular moniker "DVD" really doesn't represent the hope for the future of the organization the way that it did 18 months ago.
- The top two position prospects in the organization right now are probably John Mayberry Jr. and Joaquin Arias, and despite being polar opposites in terms of body type and position, they face a similar task. Both possess excellent baseball tools and if they hit their ceilings could be stars. But both have serious adjustments still to make with their swing and offensive approach, and both must eventually unlock their power and unleash it during games.
- The three runners-up for their top ten were 1B/OF Chris Davis, SS Marcus Lemon, and C Taylor Teagarden. Davis and Lemon, along with Kasey Kiker, look like the best players from the 2006 draft.
- Fitt says that Teagarden's back is healthy and elbow should be ready for the spring. Toolsy young catcher Cristian Santana's shoulder (labrum surgery) should be ready in time for Extended Spring Training, which begins approximately when the Rangers leave to start their season.