Two Intriguing Texas Rangers Pitching Prospects Have Breakout Potential

The Texas Rangers saw some young pitchers break out in the minor leagues last season and they’re hoping for a repeat in 2025.

Mar 15, 2024; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; General view of a Texas Rangers hat, glove, and glasses prior to a spring training game against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

While the Texas Rangers’ Major League campaign last season was marked by the debuts of Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, the minor league system has some significant breakthroughs when it came to pitching.

Right-handed pitcher Alejandro Rosario was named the system’s pitcher of the year after he had the fourth-most strikeouts of any pitcher in the Rangers’ system at Class-A and High-A.

Texas discovered a future closer in left-hander Bryan Magdaleno, who had nine saves at three different affiliates.

Two Rangers pitching prospects — Emiliano Teodo and Winston Santos — were selected to play in the MLB Futures Game last July, and Teodo drew the start. Teodo was also the Arizona Fall League’s reliever of the year. There is potential for both of those pitchers to make an impact in Arlington this season.

Pitching wins championships and each team must grow its own. That means the Rangers need more hurlers to break out like those budding stars did a season ago.

Baseball America recently spotlighted the top breakout candidates in each minor league system, and for the Rangers the publication landed on two pitchers — right-hander David Davalillo and right-hander Kolton Curtis.

To qualify, a player had to be ranked outside of the team’s Top 10 prospects. Davalillo is ranked No. 17 while Curtis is ranked No. 23.

Davalillo almost didn’t end up with the Rangers. The 22-year-old Venezuela native originally signed with the Mets as an international free agent but was released after a year. The Rangers signed him the following year.

One could argue that he’s already broken out. Last year at Class-A and High-A he went 8-2 with a 1.88 ERA in 22 games (21 starts), with 113 strikeouts and 32 walks in 110.1 innings.

On the 20-80 scouting scale, Baseball America grades his splitter and cutter at 55, which are his best pitches. But the publication’s scouts made the point that Davalillo has an arsenal where everything is good, but not great. But he also throws five different pitches and Baseball America praised his “feel” for pitching.

Curtis was a Division II pitcher at Barry University and was signed by Texas as an undrafted free agent. He spent all of last season at Class-A ball, where he went 4-7 with a 2.85 ERA in 23 games (15 starts) with 80 strikeouts and 42 walks in 82 innings.

Both his slider and his change-up are a 55 on the scouting scale, but Baseball America’s scouts say he needs to work on his control and add some strength to increase velocity on his fastball.