Ortiz, Cauley, Kent highlight Rangers AFL contingent

The Texas Rangers have announced that the following players from the organization will be with the Surprise Saguaros when Arizona Fall League play begins on October 2:

LHP Mitch Bratt

RHP Bubba Hoopii-Tuionetoa

RHP Zak Kent

RHP Justin Slaten

RHP Emiliano Teodo

C Liam Hicks

IF Cam Cauley

OF Abi Ortiz

OF Alejandro Osuna

Some comments...

The 21 year old Ortiz had a breakout season in 2023, slashing .294/.371/.619 between low-A and high-A and being named the South Atlantic League MVP. He primarily has played first base, with a few appearances in the outfield mixed in, so it is interesting to see him listed as an outfielder.

Osuna, who turns 21 next month, spent the 2023 season at Hickory, where he slashed .259/.381/.385. He missed time due to injury, playing just 70 games, so this is a way to get him more reps.

The 20 year old Cauley split 2023 between low-A and high-A, slashing .245/.333/.411 with 36 steals in 41 attempts while playing mostly shortstop.

Hicks is a 24 year old catcher who also played some first base and DH this year, putting up a .275/.414/.373 slash line between Hickory and Frisco.

Kent and Bratt are fairly well regarded starting pitching prospects who didn’t log many innings this year due to injury. Kent is on the 40 man roster and put up a 3.03 ERA in 29.2 IP over 9 appearances for Round Rock. Bratt, a 20 year old lefty, had a 3.54 ERA in 61 innings over 16 starts for Hickory.

Teodo, a 22 year old righthander, also had 61 innings for Hickory between 14 starts and four relief appearances. He had a rougher go of it, putting up a 4.52 ERA, but he misses a lot of bats, and could get a look in a relief role.

Hoopii-Tuionetoa is a righthanded reliever who missed a lot of time this year due to injury. He had a 2.96 ERA in 19 appearances covering 24 innings at three levels, and will get the opportunity to make up for some of the innings he missed.

Slaten is a righty reliever who just turned 26 earlier this month. A third round pick out of the University of New Mexico in 2019, he was seen as a potential reliever when drafted, though Texas gave him the opportunity to start. He had a rough go of it in Spokane in 2019 and in Hickory in 2021 as a starter, then put up a 6.93 ERA in 50 innings over 25 appearances for Frisco in 2022. He appeared to turn a corner in 2023, however, putting up a 2.84 ERA in 57 innings, striking out 82 of 222 batters faced. Slaten spent most of the year in Frisco, but got a late season promotion to Round Rock, and could be in the mix for a 40 man roster spot this offseason.