Highly Touted Rangers Prospects Predicted to Make Solid Impact on MLB Roster

The Texas Rangers are going to need some rookie production in 2026 to build towards the future, and FanGraphs has a few prospects making an impact for them.

Feb 19, 2025; Surprise, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers player Sebastian Walcott poses for a photo during Media Day at Surprise Stadium. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers are in a somewhat intriguing position when it comes to their 2026 roster and beyond. With Marcus Semien being dealt for Brandon Nimmo, the clear vision is to improve the offense of the lineup, which they did by bringing in Nimmo. There is still room to grow, though, and with a lot of money tied up already, the focus may turn to adding prospects to the roster throughout the year.

On a positive note, the Rangers have quite a few prospects who are rapidly progressing through the farm system, and even better, they have a few notable names who are nearing an MLB debut. While it may not be to start the season, some of their best young talents may make their way up throughout the 2026 campaign, providing a spark and backing up any injured players.

FanGraphs recently released their Steamer projections for every MLB team, and included among Texas' roster were two pretty notable prospects, who they believe will not only make their debuts, but will also provide some really solid production throughout their first few appearances.

Which Two Prospects Will Make a Strong Impact in 2026, According to FanGraphs?

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The two notable prospects listed on the FanGraphs projection system were infielder Sebastian Walcott and starting pitcher David Davalillo, both of whom are currently in Double-A Frisco. The No. 1 and No. 7 prospects in the Rangers system, according to MLB Pipeline, both ended up having some numbers when it comes to playing at the Major League level in 2026, and given how quickly both have been progressing, it makes sense to factor them in.

Sebastian Walcott enjoyed a productive 2025 season, posting a 111 wRC+ with 12 HR, 19 2B, and 32 SB. The toolsy 19-year-old displays easy juice, cut his K% by 6%, increased his Con% while swinging less, and showed a less pull-happy profile, going the other way 4.3% more. pic.twitter.com/6X3TGueutn

— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) November 24, 2025

For Walcott, he is projected to play in 23 games, slashing .230/.303/.350 with two home runs, nine RBI, 10 runs, a 23.8% strikeout rate, 8.9% walk rate, 0.3 fWAR and 85 wRC+.

All things considered, this is about what should be expected for a player debuting mid-season and playing his first 23 MLB games at that age. His defensive projection is not too bad either, which is what helps out his overall fWAR.

As for Davalillo, he is projected to play in 14 games, starting two of them. In that span, he picks up 21.1 innings, a 3.96 ERA, 4.04 FIP, 7.83 K/9, 2.81 BB/9, 1.10 HR/9 and a 0.2 fWAR.

It is interesting to see them project him more as a bullpen pitcher, given he has started all but two appearances since the start of the 2024 season. Regardless, having his type of production out of the bullpen would be a good thing if the starting rotation is consistent.

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