Rangers Promote Former First-Round Pick to Triple-A Round Rock
The Texas Rangers promoted one of their top 30 prospects, Cole Ragans, from Double-A Frisco to Triple-A Round Rock on Monday, putting him in line to start later this week for the Express.
Ragans, a left-hander, is scheduled to start on Thursday against Sugar Land.
Ragans has a 5-3 record at Frisco this season, with a 2.81 ERA in 10 starts. He has 65 strikeouts, 19 walks and a 1.17 WHIP.
According to MLB.com, Ragans is the organization’s No. 29 prospect. There are 12 pitchers ahead of Ragans in the top 30.
Ragans has taken the long road to get to the Rangers’ top minor-league affiliate. He was the Rangers’ first-round pick (No. 30 overall) in 2016 out of North Florida Christian in Tallahassee, Fla. He pitched four games in the Arizona Fall League in 2016, and then joined the Rangers’ Short Class-A league team in Spokane in 2017, where he went 3-2 in 13 games with a 3.61 ERA, 87 strikeouts and 35 walks.
But Ragans didn’t pitch again until 2021. He had two Tommy John surgeries and the 2020 minor-league season was canceled due to COVID-19.
Last season, Ragans pitched for two Rangers affiliates — High Class-A Hickory and Double-A Frisco. With Hickory, Ragans threw 10 games, going 1-2 with a 3.25 ERA, 54 strikeouts and 14 walks. With the RoughRiders, he threw nine games, going 3-1 with a 5.70 ERA, 33 strikeouts and 20 walks. Combined, he went 4-3 with a 4.35 ERA, 87 strikeouts and 34 walks.
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