Rangers' Walcott -- highest-ranked prospect in the AFL -- appreciating health in 2nd stint in desert

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Sebastian Walcott arrived in the Arizona Fall League a year ago, ready to lay the groundwork for a special season.

The Rangers shortstop had conquered Double-A at age 19, earning Texas League Prospect of the Year accolades. Using the Fall League to create a better bat path to maximize his power while also honing his consistency on defense would help his chances of playing for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic in March 2026 and making his big league debut later in the year.

But after going 2-for-4 with a double on AFL Opening Day last October, Walcott got shut down with fatigue in his right (throwing) arm. The ailment eventually was diagnosed as a torn elbow ligament in February, resulting in internal brace surgery that cost him the first half of the season and mostly limited him to DH duty afterward.

Now Walcott has returned to the Surprise Saguaros to make up for lost time. He's full-go in the field after playing shortstop twice in the final week of the Minor League season.

"That time away from the field, I kind of realized how I blessed I was to actually be healthy and playing," said Walcott, the highest-rated prospect in the Fall League at No. 8 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. "When I got back on the field playing, I just took every day step by step. I'm thankful that I'm able to play this game again and I'm just not taking any day for granted."

Even before Walcott signed for $3.2 million out of the Bahamas in 2023, scouts were projecting that he would become the best player ever to come from the islands. His bat speed and exit velocities are exceptional for his age and he has had no problem handling much more experienced pitchers throughout his pro career. He was a little more aggressive than usual after he returned from his layoff, but he still slashed .322/.398/.586 with nine homers and 11 steals in 37 Double-A games.

"The first few games were kind of like trying to get my feet wet and get back into action," Walcott said. "I think when I really felt comfortable was like that first full week and things started rolling from there. I started getting really comfortable with throwing when I was doing my throwing progression, and while I was hitting, I didn't feel anything, so I was pretty comfortable with how my elbow was feeling. I was really, really confident in that.

"Honestly, the elbow feels great. I'm ready. I feel confident playing the field. I'm just ready to get back out there and showcase my talent."

Walcott's talent is considerable. His power potential tends to overshadow his hitting ability, but he owns a career .267/.354/.448 line during a pro career in which just nine of his 1,469 plate appearances have come against pitchers younger than him. He'll flash plus speed at times and had one of the strongest arms in the Minors before his surgery.

Rangers hitters in the Fall League

Paxton Kling, OF (No. 20): A center fielder with 25-25 upside, Kling has some of the best all-around tools in the system but inconsistency at the plate dropped him to the seventh round of the 2025 Draft after he played at Louisiana State and Penn State. He batted .243/.383/.361 with 40 steals in 89 games, mostly in High-A, missing six weeks with a broken right wrist.

Julian Brock, C: Brock offers plus raw power but doesn't make consistent contact, and he provides decent defense behind the plate. The 2023 eighth-rounder from Louisiana-Lafayette hit .197/.312/.332 in 68 games between Double-A and Triple-A.

Casey Cook, 2B: Cook was an on-base machine at North Carolina, where he homered twice off Chase Burns in one game (including one blast off a 101-mph fastball), and went in the third round of the 2024 Draft. He missed the first three months of this season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery before batting .154/.281/.295 in 41 games in High-A.

Rangers pitchers in the Fall League

Jacob Johnson, RHP (No. 17): The Rangers have high hopes for Johnson, who has starter ingredients with a heavy low-90s sinker, tight low-80s slider, strikes, projection and fine delivery metrics. An 11th-rounder from Pearl River (Miss.) CC in 2025, he logged a 2.51 ERA, .193 opponent average and 48 strikeouts in 43 innings between Rookie ball and Single-A in his pro debut.

Mason McConnaughey (No. 30): Though McConnaughey's junior season at Nebraska was interrupted by Tommy John surgery in March 2025, Texas still drafted him in the fourth round four months later. He commands three pitches, the best of which is a low-80s slider that he sets up with a low-90s fastball. After returning to the mound in late June, he compiled a 3.48 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings between Rookie ball and Single-A.

Alejandro Chiquillo, RHP: Signed for $5,000 out of Colombia in 2024, Chiquillo missed two months this year with a hamstring injury and also spent time on the development list. Armed with a 94-96 mph fastball that reaches 98 and a mid-80s slider, he posted a 4.88 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings in Single-A.

J'Briell Easley, RHP: Easley landed a $100,000 bonus as a 2024 nondrafted free agent out of Kansas on the basis of a 93-95 mph fastball with impressive carry and an upper-70s curveball with good depth. He fashioned a 5.43 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 58 innings between High-A and Double-A.

Jesus Gamez, RHP: Signed as an outfielder for $10,000 out of Mexico in 2023, Gamez moved to the mound the following year. He works with a mid-90s fastball with huge carry, a tight mid-80s slider and a low-80s changeup that come out of one of the highest release points in the Minors. He recorded a 3.74 ERA, .167 opponent average and 69 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings in High-A, though he also walked 47.