TOP PROSPECTS TO WATCH AS EXPRESS OPENS SEASON
Youth is key, with three top prospects Willie Calhoun, Ronald Guzman and Yohander Mendez all 23 years old.
Last year the Round Rock Express finished 23 games out of first place. This year, 23 might just be their magic number.
The team’s three premium prospects — left fielder Willie Calhoun, first baseman Ronald Guzman and starting pitcher Yohander Mendez — each are 23 years old.
“No question those three are a major part of the future of the Rangers,” said manager Jason Wood, preparing for Thursday’s opening night assignment against Memphis. “They each have some things to work on, and our job is to help them where
it’s needed so they can make that final jump.”
Rangers regulars such as Elvis Andrus, Rougned Odor and Joey Gallo already were starting by age 23. Nomar Mazara doesn’t turn 23
until April 26. Yet several other Rangers starters were still finding their way in the minor leagues.
“I know we have time on our side — 23 is still plenty young,” said Calhoun, who came to Texas last July in the Yu Darvish deal with the Dodgers.
“I’m convinced I can help the Rangers win now, but they sent me
here to work on my defense and that’s what I will do,” said the converted second baseman. “I need to get better in the field, learn to take the right routes on the ball. Part of it is experience.”
Of the three, Calhoun — Baseball America’s No. 1 Rangers prospect — is closest to making the show. Texas is platooning the left-field position and Calhoun’s left-handed stick could rate as a huge upgrade. Last year he
smashed 32 home runs, drove in 97 runs, racked up 65 extra-base hits and batted .300 in two Triple-A stops and a cup of coffee with the Rangers.
“His bat will play in the majors right now,” Wood said. “There’s not a whole lot he needs to finetune offensively. He’s going to be a big run producer. He has a knack for driving in runs and has sneaky power for his size (listed at 5-8, 210) and hits for average.
“On defense, he’s a work in progress. He needs to improve, get more reads and reps. He does a pretty good job of getting good reads on balls off the bat. He may lack foot speed but has a good quick first jump. There’s some balls he simply cannot get to, but you don’t see him miss many fly balls. Put a center fielder next to him who can cover some ground, and I think it will work out.”
To turn the corner defensively, Calhoun is leaning on Dwayne Murphy, the Rangers’ roving outfield instructor.
“He’s a six-time Gold Glove winner. I turn to him a lot and he gives me answers,” Calhoun said. “I’m sure he’ll be here quite a bit for the first month to gauge where I’m at. Having a guy like that in your corner is really nice. I am confident I can get to where I need to be defensively.” Calhoun, a Vallejo, Calif. native, made a lot of friends in Round Rock when he arrived last summer. He plays the game with a dash of flair and a smile on his face. It didn’t hurt that he batted .310 with 26 RBIs in 29 games.
“I like to keep things fresh,” he said. “I’ve got different socks than everyone else on the team, different cleats. Everyone will see Thursday night I’ll have some different touches that stand out. I always want to have fun. You’re not going to see me throwing things or having tantrums. I always want to have fun.”
Guzman, 6-5 and 225 pounds, brings a vastly different look than Calhoun but a similar mental profile. The lanky Dominican tells a good joke and is often seen laughing it up with teammates.
He does not profile as a typical slugging first baseman — batting .298 with 12 homers and 62 RBIs in 2017 for Round Rock — but the organization still expects the long balls to come when his frame fills out.
“I think he might want to show a little bit more power this year,” Wood said. “We liked what we saw last year, a guy in his first full Triple-A season hitting close to .300 and driving in runs.”
Guzman just doesn’t want to sacrifice his line-drive swing for a few more homers.
“I’m not going to change the good things I do at the plate,” he said. “I tried that once before and took a step backward. There’s value in becoming a gap-to-gap hitter and driving the ball to all fields.
“The Rangers want me to be the most consistent hitter I can be and see where that takes me. I have to keep working hard here and polish my game. Yes, my goal is to reach the Rangers, but once I get there I want to be well-rounded enough to stay there.”
Mendez said through an interpreter that he is coming off his best spring training.
“I used to fall in love with my changeup; now I like to attack hitters with my fastball. That’s the big adjustment I’ve made,” the lefthanded Venezuelan said. “I think you’ll see an aggressive pitcher.”
Wood said Mendez needs to fine-tune his control and handle the adversity that will come in his first full Triple-A season.
“He is working on his glove-side fastball and getting more spin on his slider,” the manager said. “He’s got a game plan. He needs to take that out there and have the confidence to stick with it. Not get caught up in trying to do too many things.
“He’s No. 1 or 2 in our organization. When he does get hit around a little bit, we’ll see how he reacts. The PCL is a different beast. There are a lot of big league quality hitters and hitting-friendly parks. But he has the quality to succeed.”