:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56916365/usa_today_10282168.0.jpg)
The Texas Rangers placed one player, Leody Taveras, in the South Atlantic League top 20 prospect list that just came out from Baseball America.
Leody, a switch-hitting 18 year old center fielder, is widely considered the Rangers’ top prospect, and is generally seen as a consensus top 30-50 prospect in all of baseball. He trailed two other teenage outfielders from Latin America in the Sally League rankings — Sixto Sanchez of the Phillies and Estevan Florial of the Yankees. Taveras garners praise for his all-around game, and is a potential five-tool guy. The comparison that you most often see invoked when talking about Leody’s potential upside is Carlos Beltran.
The highest-ranked player for Hickory after Leody is probably pitcher Kyle Cody, a 2016 draft pick out of Kentucky who had a solid year and earned a late-season promotion to Down East. I think he would have a decent case for being included on this list, though so do several other players around the league who didn’t make the cut.