The Texas Rangers are at the forefront of a growing trend in professional baseball. They are currently developing two of the five two-way prospects in baseball: Josh Owens and Seong-Jun Kim.
Both right-handed pitchers while handles duties at shortstop. According to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News, the organization expects both players to take the mound once per week while maintaining their defensive roles in the middle of the infield.
We caught a glimpse of both prospects in limited action last season, and the potential is high:
Josh Owens (6’3″, 185 lbs)
Texas selected the 19-year-old Owens in the third round of the 2025 draft, signing him for a $1.1 million bonus.
In his debut with Hickory, Owens made two mound appearances, tossing 2.0 innings in each outing. He struck out three batters in every appearance, finishing with a 0.00 ERA over 4.0 innings. While he allowed one unearned run, he totaled six strikeouts against just three walks.
At the plate, Owens slashed .083/.083/.125/.208 across eight games. His recovery routine is already efficient; after his first pitching appearance, he took a one-day break before returning to the lineup, and after his second outing, he was back in the batting order the very next day. Reports indicate his fastball has already touched 97 mph this spring.
Seong-Jun Kim (6’0″, 185 lbs)
The 18-year-old Kim joined the organization as an international free agent with a $1.2 million signing bonus.
Kim began his professional career in the Dominican Summer League with the Rangers Red. On the mound, he pitched 1.0 scoreless inning and struck out two batters, featuring a fastball that has touched 95 mph.
Offensively, Kim posted a slash line of .167/.231/.333/.564 with 2 RBI. He also flashed impressive speed on the basepaths, recording three stolen bases in his limited action.
We are starting to see more two-way players across baseball and I don’t see that trend slowing down anytime soon.
It will be fascinating to see how Owens and Kim develop under this structured weekly pitching schedule.
Follow The Prospect Times as we provide updates on their progress throughout the 2026 season.
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