Where the Rangers' Top 30 Prospects are starting the season
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With the 2016 season getting started, here's a look at where the Rangers' Top 30 prospects are projected to start the season:
1. Joey Gallo -- Round Rock Express (AAA)
- Lewis Brinson -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
- Nomar Mazara -- Round Rock Express (AAA)
- Dillon Tate -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
- Luis Ortiz -- High Desert Mavericks (A Adv)
- Jairo Beras -- High Desert Mavericks (A Adv)
- Eric Jenkins -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
- Michael Matuella -- Extended spring camp
- Leody Taveras -- Extended spring camp
- Josh Morgan -- High Desert Mavericks (A Adv)
- Brett Martin -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
- Yeyson Yrizarri -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
- Ariel Jurado -- High Desert Mavericks (A Adv)
- Yohander Mendez -- High Desert Mavericks (A Adv)
- Ryan Cordell -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
- Andy Ibanez -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
- Luke Jackson -- Texas Rangers (MLB) -- DL
- Andrew Faulkner -- Texas Rangers (MLB)
- Evan Van Hoosier -- Suspended
- Michael De Leon -- High Desert Mavericks (A Adv)
- Travis Demeritte -- High Desert Mavericks (A Adv)
- Jose Trevino -- High Desert Mavericks (A Adv)
- Ronald Guzman -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
- Patrick Kivlehan -- Round Rock Express (AAA)
- Jose Leclerc -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
- Sam Wolff -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
- Connor Sadzeck -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
- Jonathan Hernandez -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
- Pedro Payano -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
- Ti'Quan Forbes -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
• Complete Rangers prospects coverage at MLBPipeline.com/Rangers
Team to watch
Triple-A Round Rock has three potential superstars in slugging third baseman Joey Gallo, classic right fielder Nomar Mazara and do-everything middle infielder Jurickson Profar. Gallo is No. 8 and Mazara is No. 17 on the MLBPipeline.com Top 100. Profar, who no longer qualifies as a prospect but ranked No. 1 on the Top 100 three years ago, missed most of the last two years with a shoulder injury.
Where teams' Top 30 prospects are starting the season
Teams on MiLB.TV
Round Rock Express
Frisco RoughRiders
New faces
Signed for $1.6 million last July, Cuban second baseman Andy Ibanez will break into pro ball at Class A Hickory. Right-hander Michael Matuella, who might have been the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 Draft if he hadn't needed Tommy John surgery last April, will return to the mound in June at Hickory or short-season Spokane. Toolsy Dominican outfielder Leody Taveras, signed for $2.1 million last July, will make his pro debut this summer. Corner infielder/outfielder Patrick Kivlehan will begin in Triple-A after joining the Rangers in December as the player to be named in the Tom Wilhelmsen /Leonys Martin trade with the Mariners.
On the shelf
Besides Matuella, Texas' only other Top 30 Prospect who's not physically ready to start the season is right-hander Luke Jackson. He came down with a stress reaction in his lower back during Spring Training and hopes to join Round Rock in mid-April. He's not hurt, but second baseman Evan Van Hoosier will miss most of the first two months of the season while finishing a 50-game suspension after a positive test for amphetamines and a second positive test for a drug of abuse.