Welcome to our first mailbag of the 2026 season! We reached out on X for your most pressing questions about the Texas Rangers or their farm system, and you certainly delivered.
A few of our contributors—Reggie, Kasey, and Mason—provided their unique perspectives. If we have enough interest in this format, it’s something we’ll aim to do every couple of weeks while rotating our contributors to get different perspectives.
The first question from @RangersFanCave. Does Cody Freeman have a path to the big leagues in 2026, and which position does he ultimately stick at?
Great stuff from @eyesontheball95, @MasonHovind_TXR, and @BaseballKing162. My question: does Cody Freeman have a path to the big leagues in 2026, and which position does he ultimately stick at?
— Rangers Fan Cave (@RangersFanCave) March 27, 2026
Reggie: Absolutely Cody Freeman has a path to the big leagues this season. He has to get healthy first, If I had to guess he will probably start at ACL and prob rehab at a couple of different levels before he gets added to the roster at Round Rock. Freeman is a rare Rangers prospect that has actually gotten better as a hitter at each level. It also helps that he can play multiple positions. Josh Smith is at 2b at the moment, but we all know how fast players can go down to injury. I don’t expect Smith or Jung at 3B to be so bad at the plate that they get replaced by Freeman. Cody coming back to the big leagues is all about him being healthy and the Rangers at the big-league level ability/inability to stay healthy.
Kasey: Cody Absolutely has a path to the Majors this season. I firmly believe it could be at either the 2B position or even 3B. Josh Smith’s capabilities for a full season are still very much in question so if it proves to be too much for smith to handle 2B everyday for a full 162 game year then if Freeman plays well I firmly believe Texas could look to someone else especially if they are out of playoff contention sooner rather than later. With the unknowing if Jung will ever be back to his All Star capabilities even on a full year could prove a more effective pathway for Freeman but I believe he’d have to really shine down in Round Rock for him having a true shot in the big leagues this season. Ezekiel Duran has also been a very hot bat coming into this season and could be another hurdle in the future of Freeman at the big league level.
Mason: Cody definitely has a path to the big leagues I think. He will definitely be on the 26-man roster at some point this year. Ultimately I think he sticks at 2B, I think he will succeed more defensively at that position, but I think he would stick at 3B just fine as well. Last year you obviously wanted Freeman to show more at the plate, but I don’t think the stats truly speak for how he played. He always made something happen when he was at the plate. If the Rangers needed an RBI and he was up he made it happen most of the time. If the Rangers needed to move a runner over, he did it. Cody Freeman plays the game right does what the games asks. I’m a big fan of players like him.
From @RanDumbInTX: Why does ours suck so much?
Reggie: Let me be clear, no one has been harder on the Rangers farm system than me. However, my complaints are more long term over the last 16 years, more so than recently. The Rangers have not had much success with hitters. They are not alone in this. Some of this starts at the travel ball level in youth baseball, and it doesn’t help that college baseball still uses the shift, so hitters are still at a pretty high level of baseball are just swinging as hard as they can trying to elevate the ball to hit out of the shift. The Rangers and other teams have to try to deprogram this from players (Wyatt Langford, Josh Jung) but the Rangers Farm System has been good enough to produce pitchers that other teams want, and the Rangers have used that at the trade deadline.
The Rangers were able to land Merrill Kelly at the trade deadline for Kohl Drake and Mitch Bratt. Both of those guys could be middle of the rotation starters or higher. Cole Ragans to KC to name another in 2023. Rangers still have some great arms in the farm system at the two highest levels. Jose Corniell, Winston Santos, David Davillio, Leandro Lopez. All Names to keep an eye on. They all may not be starters at the big league level but thats ok. (See Cole Winn).
The Rangers were able to Land MacKenzie Gore in the off season with prospects. As long as the Rangers are able to keep Gore long term, that was a steal.
Kasey: I think that is a very broad way of putting things and the Rangers development team truly is on the rise especially in the pitching department. I think the Rangers had spent previous years trying to develop players into someone they aren’t rather than develop into their own strengths on the mound and at the plate. I fully expect a turn around in organizationally philosophy and output on the farm. I’m not saying we’ll be as prevalent as the Dodgers per se, but I expect a expansive swing in talent being produced by the Rangers.
Mason: I don’t think our farm system sucks. Does it have flashy talent like some others team’s farm systems, no, but the Rangers have plenty of intriguing talent spread throughout the system. Multiple two-way players that look to have a solid foundation, an abundance of arm talent in all levels of the minors, and even some intriguing position players. The pitching talent in the system is headlined by Caden Scarborough and AJ Russell, but there are a number of other guys that are slept on. Leandro Lopez, Josh Trentadue, Izack Tiger, and Ismael Agreda are a few of my favorites. On the hitting side you have guys like Paxton Kling, Jack Wheeler, Elian Rosario, Yolfran Castillo, Maxton Martin, and Dylan Dreiling. I think Dreiling is going to have a breakout year in Frisco this year and I’m excited to watch him.
From @JSTXRangers: How long would Cam Cauley need to perform before getting a call-up, especially if someone on the roster is struggling offensively?
Reggie: Cam Cauley needs to take the next step as a hitter, just like Cody Freeman did last season at Round Rock. Both have similar numbers in their last season at Frisco. He is going to have to make more consistent contact at the plate and put the ball in play instead of “he hits the ball hard guy” Hitting the ball hard does not always translate into success, as we have seen at the big-league level. Nick Solak hit the ball hard. He has never stuck around at the big-league level. If Freeman is ready and healthy and performing, I would suspect he gets a call before Cauley.
Kasey: I think it depends on the player and the situation. If the Rangers are playing at or above .500 ball over the first two months I don’t see them making many moves along those lines unless someone like a Smith or Jung is really struggling. With that said I firmly believe if Cauley continues to produce at this level we could start to hear rumblings by the 30-45 range of him being called up if he continues it for a 60-75+ game pace I don’t see the Rangers holding him in Round Rock passed that.
Mason: It may not take as long as some people think if he’s performing and some players on the big league roster are not performing. He really opened eyes to a number of people within the organization this spring. I have always been a fan of Cam Cauley because I love how he plays. If he can cut down on the swing and miss I definitely think he’ll be a solid big leaguer. He has some sneaky pop that could allow him to run into 15 homers. If I had to predict when he makes his debut I would say mid-late season probably.
@LogmanIsJ: Which pitcher and hitter are you most excited about this year?
Reggie: Josh Owens the hitter, Pitcher-David Davalillo
Kasey: Hitter Dylan Dreiling. He had a 100 point uptick in OPS and Slugging last season not to mention he finished the year off strong and had a great spring. This will be the season where his body is just about fully adjusted to the Major League schedule and he’s working with his coaches from Hub City who also made the jump to Frisco so I firmly believe this could be the year we see a major uptick from the former CWS MVP.
Pitcher Leandro Lopez. Plain and simple this kid had big league stuff, if he can work command well and keep the pitch count low while getting outs on the third, fourth or fifth pitch of the AB I think we see him make a push for the Roster this season. I don’t expect him to be in Frisco for too long and with the Rangers organization making a push in pitching development I think he is one of the guys in the upper echelon of our system to kick start the new movement.
Mason: The hitter I’m most excited about this year is Paxton Kling. I think he has one of the higher ceilings in the system. Good defensive outfielder, and he has 25 HR potential I believe. He is going to have to reduce the swing and miss, but I have great confidence that he will do whatever it takes. I have heard nothing but great things about this kid as a teammate and a person. On the pitching side it’s an obvious pick but I’m going with AJ Russell. That fastball is insane and I’m excited to see what the Rangers do with him.
From @dakramfantasy: Is AJ Russell the real deal Holyfield?
Reggie: The talent is there. He’s 6 ft 6. He only had 11 starts in college at Tennessee. In 70 innings, he struck out 104. He hit 98 at times with his fastball in college. If he reaches that more consistently in the minors and develops his slider, then he can be a top of the rotation starter. Health is the key. If he was playing a full season at Tennessee this season and healthy, he is probably a first round pick in the 2026 draft.
Kasey: it’s hard for me to call anyone the “real deal” who’s not an All Star in the majors yet but that doesn’t mean he can’t be or that I don’t believe he won’t be. Nimmo has already compared his Fastball to Degrom this spring and is a guy who has missed barrels for most of his career. He certainly has big league stuff, it was clear even from the out-poor the Rangers received when selecting him they could have something special on our hands. If he plays his cards right I see him making it up to Frisco and potentially finishing the year in Round Rock come playoff time. Right now AJ is looking good and poised for a breakout season but we’ll also have to see how his body adjusts to a full year of pro-ball.
Mason: 1,000% he is, that fastball is legit. I got to see it firsthand in Arizona this spring, and it made me more excited about AJ Russell than I already was. With the 70-grade fastball he pairs a sweeping slider, and is working on a change-up. I think his absolute floor is a high leverage arm in the bullpen, closer potential maybe, but I think the Rangers can develop him into a good starter. I am very excited to follow his development.
From @TLforTD1 : If the two way players (Kim and Owens) were forced to pick a side, where do you predict they would go?
Reggie: I think Josh Owens will have too much value with his glove and bat to risk arm injury and missing time due to pitching injuries. I know people are in love with the two-way player, but I don’t want this kid ruined because he is being an experiment.
Kasey: Kim is a tough tell as he was signed at just 18. He hit .333 his senior year and also touched 95 on the mound so he’s very well versed on both sides of the ball. The only reason I’d lead pitching is because I see a quicker path to the big leagues as well as the Rangers new organization philosophy seems to value pitching over hitting. I love both his swing And his repertoire on the mound so at this stage it’s very tough to tell. On the flip side I’d say Owens would more likely to be a hitter if they did choose to cut down his TWP development. Scouts really liked him more as a hitter and his offensive prowess over his capabilities on the mound. However his ability to throw in the upper 90’s as well as a funny arm slot and well-commanded slider could also have him lean that route. Truthfully both are so young I see it being a couple of years in development before we’d hear anything about a potentially shift in their programs to focus on one side or the other.
Mason: I’m honestly torn on both because both do things I like on both sides. For Seong-Jun Kim I think I lean a position player. I think his ceiling as a hitter could be pretty solid if gains some muscle and strength. I like his smooth right-handed swing and the reports on his approach are good. With Josh Owens in super torn because I think he’s very underrated as a pitcher. He can reach 97-98 from a three quarter arm slot and has an above average slider, with a developing change-up. Then on the hitter side I think a far comp is Evan Carter but not as good of a hit tool. He gets good exit velo, fast runner, and solid fielder at shortstop with a good arm. If I had to choose right now I think I would go with position player as well for Owens.
From @TX_Rangers_Talk: How big of a year is it for Anthony Gutierrez and what’s his ceiling?
Reggie: The good: He’s only 21 so there is still time to develop some power and more pop in his bat. The Bad: He has .684 OPS for his career in the minors. If I had to guess, organizational depth is his ceiling.
Kasey: I think with the change in hitting Philosophy that this is an immensely important year in the development of Gutierrez. He’s had 3 straight years of a sub .681 OPS would is well low below average. He’s only 21 and has still has room to grow into his body but the pop simply hasn’t been there and at this point it’s going to take some big adjustments. I think he still has plenty years til we consider him to be a true “dud” but I think if he has another sub .700 OPS this season that any hype he had will officially have subsided. My personal ceiling for him right now is a platoon guy in big leagues, maybe a guy who’ll hit .250, hit 10+ homers and Swipe 30-40 bags, not a bad player by any means but not what the initial hype was. His swing has looked down recently and will be interesting to see how the new staff in Hub City choose to go about him development over the next few months.
Mason: I think it is a pretty big year for Gutierrez, he’s been with the organization for a little bit and really hasn’t shown much offensively since 2022. However he has had some injury issues. He is very good defensively, possibly one of the best defenders in the organization, but in all honesty I’m not quite sure his ceiling offensively. He could maybe be a 4th outfielder because of his defensive ability and speed, but the question mark to me is definitely his bat.
From @sjohns58: What is the status of Brock Porter and have the Rangers given up on developing him as a starter?
Reggie: Brock Porter and have the Rangers given up on him as a starter. Brock was a top 100 prospect in 23 and 24. HIs senior year in high school he was the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year. So, small detail, but my first red flag I ever had with him was he had almost a full year of being 18 years old by the time he threw his last high school pitch his senior year. That one year makes a difference and it may have been a stretch for the Rangers to draft him as high as they did (4th Round) to begin with. He was 20 when he threw his first pitch at A ball. In 24 he was rushed off to Developmental after an awful start. He will be 23 in June and is still at Hub City. He had a 3.06 ERA last season out of the pen, but he has been facing the same level of talent now for a while. I don’t think the Rangers view him as a starter at all. He has been passed by many in the minors.
Kasey: Brock Porter had a very good year last year with an ERA just over three. It would appear his development as a Starter is currently on hold as he exclusively has come out of the bullpen since the very start of last season. Now potentially as he gains better command and mechanics out of the pen’ he could very well build arm stamina to once more be a starter but right now he’s competing very well out of the bullpen and there doesn’t seem to be a big pressure to get him out of that position anytime soon. He obviously has the potential to grow and become a good pitcher at just 22 but as of right now I don’t see him being a Starter anytime soon.
Mason: I can’t remember exactly what I heard last on Brock Porter, but I do know that his velo is on the up tick and is getting back into the mid to high 90s. Initially it looks like they wanted him to be a starter, but last year it looks like he was used as a reliever. We will have to see what they do this year with Porter, I do trust what they decide to do with him though.
That wraps up our Mailbag No. 1 for 2026! A huge thank you to everyone who sent in questions and to our contributors for their answers. There is a lot of intrigue across all four levels right now, and we’re excited to keep tracking it. As always, thanks for reading The Prospect Times.