Rangers Pitching Prospect Arrives To Surprise After Melanoma Procedure

The Texas Rangers are navigating the start to the spring training madness, with their latest matchup against the Cleveland Guardians resulting in an 11-4 victory. A handful of players are starting to shine on the mound and at the plate, but they haven't been in the company of one of their top prospects Caden Scarborough.

According to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com, the 20-year-old right-hander had been diagnosed with melanoma during the offseason. As a result, he needed to undergo surgery to have it removed at the beginning of February.

Fortunately, he has now arrived at Surprise and is expected to have a regular build-up moving forward—great news for the young pitcher and his ballclub.

Rangers pitching prospect Caden Scarborough was diagnosed with a melanoma after going in for a routine scan this offseason.

He has surgery to have it removed earlier this month and has just arrived to Surprise. He’ll have a regular build up from here on out
— kennedi landry (@kennlandry) February 26, 2026

Expectations for Scarborough

A Texas Rangers cap resting on top of a baseball glove — Texas Rangers cap | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

During his 2025 campaign in the minor leagues, he logged a 2.45 ERA and 114 strikeouts across 88.0 innings pitched through 22 games, 21 of which he started. He split his season between Single-A Hickory and High-A Hub City.

Scarborough emerged as one of the ballclub's best pitching prospects last year, and if he can get back on the mound and continue developing, there's no reason why he couldn't continue climbing the rankings.

Now, he is considered a work in progress, but as noted by MLB.com, "... He has provided consistent strikes in his first extended taste of pro ball in 2025, though he barely has begun to dabble with a sinking mid-80s changeup. He has proven more polished than expected and is one of the more intriguing young arms in the system."

The Rangers picked him 171st overall in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB draft. He brings elite athleticism to the field, which is enticing for any franchise.

Scarborough enters his 2026 campaign in the minor leagues with high expectations, but not necessary for producing shocking results. Instead, he's expected to fine-tune his play and make consistent improvements throughout the season.

Although he was late reporting to camp this year, it's reassuring to know that he is now set to return. Texas certainly has more notable prospects in the farm system right now, including Sebastian Walcott—who is going to be out of commission for five to six months—and Jose Corniell, while Scarborough sits further down the line.

However, if he continues to improve and can show his value on the mound during his upcoming campaign, he is certainly a player capable of turning heads. Will this be his year to shine?