With the 2017 season getting started, here's a look at where the Rangers' Top 30 prospects are projected to start the season:
1. Leody Taveras -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
2. Yohander Mendez -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
3. Ariel Jurado -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
4. Ronald Guzman -- Round Rock Express (AAA)
5. Brett Martin -- Down East Wood Ducks (A Adv)
6. Joe Palumbo -- Down East Wood Ducks (A Adv)
7. Jose Trevino -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
8. Anderson Tejeda -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
9. Cole Ragans -- Extended spring training
10. Alex Speas -- Extended spring training
11. Connor Sadzeck -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
12. Andy Ibanez -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
13. Josh Morgan -- Down East Wood Ducks (A Adv)
14. Eric Jenkins -- Extended spring training--rehab
15. Yanio Perez -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
16. Jairo Beras -- Down East Wood Ducks (A Adv)
17. Yeyson Yrizarri -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
18. Jonathan Hernandez -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
19. Michael De Leon -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
20. Michael Matuella -- Extended spring training
21. David Garcia -- Extended spring training
22. Kole Enright -- Extended spring training
23. Drew Robinson -- Texas Rangers (MLB)
24. Scott Heineman -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
25. Brett Nicholas -- Texas Rangers (MLB) -- DL
26. Jose Leclerc -- Texas Rangers (MLB)
27. Juremi Profar -- Frisco RoughRiders (AA)
28. Pedro Payano -- Down East Wood Ducks (A Adv)
29. Jose Almonte -- Hickory Crawdads (A)
30. Andrew Faulkner -- Extended spring training
• Complete Rangers prospect coverage on MLBPipeline.com/Rangers
Team to watch
Double-A Frisco features several players who helped win championships in the high Class A California League in 2015 and/or the low Class A South Atlantic League in 2014. The Rangers' two best pitching prospects, left-hander Yohander Mendez and right-hander Ariel Jurado, are RoughRiders, as is blossoming catcher Jose Trevino. Righty Connor Sadzeck has the best fastball in the system, middle infielder Michael De Leon is its best defender and outfielder Scott Heineman comes off a 2016 season with 64 extra-base hits and 30 steals.
Where baseball's top prospects are starting the 2017 season
Teams on MiLB.TV
Round Rock Express
Frisco RoughRiders
New faces
Outfielder/third baseman Yanio Perez's solid power/speed combination earned him a $1.1 million signing bonus last September. He could take the same low Class A to Double-A path in 2017 that fellow Cuban Andy Ibanez did in his pro debut a year ago. Signed for $800,000 out of Venezuela last July, David Garcia won't make his debut until this summer in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League, but club officials already rave about his feel for catching and athleticism.
On the shelf
Outfielder Eric Jenkins strained a hamstring during Spring Training and will miss about three weeks before reporting to Class A Hickory. The speedster finished third in the Minors with 51 steals last year while with the Crawdads, but otherwise struggled offensively.