Rangers Top 30 Prospect Wraps: Aaron Zavala
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InsidetheRangers.com will review each of the Texas Rangers’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com at the end of the 2022 season.
No. 11: OF Aaron Zavala, Hickory Crawdads (High Class-A) and Frisco RoughRiders (Double-A)
Statistics for 2022: Zavala batted .277/.420/.453/.873 in 111 games (114-for-411) with 89 runs, 186 total bases, 18 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs and 62 RBI. He walked 89 times, struck out 108 times, stole 14 bases and was caught stealing six times.
Season Transactions: Zavala started the 2022 season with Hickory. The Rangers called him up to Frisco on July 30. He spent a week on the RoughRiders’ injured list from Aug. 13-20. The Rangers assigned him to the Arizona Fall League on Sept. 16.
Season Summary: The Rangers started Zavala at Hickory in an effort to see if he could handle a promotion and, well, mission accomplished. He hit .278 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI before his call-up. He walked (68 times) nearly as often as he struck out (79 times). Once the Rangers called him up, Zavala maintained his batting average, as it dropped just one point to .277. He also, again nearly walked (21 times) as much as he struck out (29 times). His consistent bat and ability to draw walks makes him an attractive option for the Rangers long-term.
Path Through the Organization: The Rangers drafted Zavala out of Oregon in the second of the 2021 MLB Draft. Zavala was coming off being named the Pac-12 Player of the Year after he set three Oregon hitting records. His pro career didn’t start right away due to a health abnormality. But, he managed 22 games with the Rangers’ Arizona Complex League rookie team and their Low Class-A Down East team, batting .293/.419/.400/.819 with one home run and nine RBI.
What’s next: The Arizona Fall League invitation shows the Rangers have him on a fast track. Given that Zavala has burned through three levels of the system in two years, he’s likely to start 2023 at Frisco, unless his play in AFL and at spring training warrant a promotion to Triple-A Round Rock. MLB.com projects him as a 2024 call-up. If he continues to post numbers like the past two seasons, he may accelerate that timeline.
2022 Texas Rangers Top 30 Prospect Wraps:
No. 30: Josh Stephan | No. 29: Mason Englert | No. 28: Marc Church | No. 27: Danyer Cueva | No. 26: Alejandro Osuna | No. 25: Zak Kent | No. 24: Dane Acker | No. 23: Avery Weems | No. 22: Emiliano Teodo | No. 21: Jonathan Ornelas | No. 20: Gleider Figuereo | No. 19: Thomas Saggese | No. 18: Maximo Acosta | No. 17: Mitch Bratt | No. 16: Ricky Vanasco | No. 15: Yeison Morrobel | No. 14: Tekoah Roby | No. 13: Antoine Kelly | No. 12: Anthony Gutierrez |
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