Rangers Trade For MacKenzie Gore Puts Dent in Farm System Ranking

The Texas Rangers sacrificed their farm system for Major League success.

The Texas Rangers were given a low farm system rank. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers made a blockbuster trade last week to acquire MacKenzie Gore. He immediately improves the rotation in Texas, but the Rangers had to give up five of their prospects. Moving all those prospects has put a dent in their farm system ranking.

Each season, Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription required) ranks each team's farm system. He puts them in tiers along with the rank compared to the rest of the MLB. Law ranked the Rangers 26th in the MLB and put them in the sixth (of eight) tier.

Rangers Gave Up Top Prospects in MacKenzie Gore Trade

Gavin Fien highlighted the MacKenzie Gore trade. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Gavin Fien was the highlight of the Gore trade. He was the No. 76 prospect in the MLB. The 19-year-old shortstop has a lot of power potential and is a plus defender. Scouts believe he might be better suited for third base, but he is going to succeed defensively no matter which position he plays.

The other four prospects include Alejandro Rosario, Abimelec Ortiz, Devin Fitz-gerald, and Yeremy Cabrera. All five of the prospects the Washington Nationals acquired have been put on their top 30 prospect list. Ortiz is the lowest-ranked of the bunch, but still comes in at 24.

These five prospects gave the Rangers the ability to trade for the high-end starter that Gore is. But it also makes their farm system significantly weaker. If Texas were to keep these players, there is no doubt they would be given a higher ranking by Law.

Sebastian Walcott is the Only Top Ranked Prospect Now

Sebastian Walcott is the top-ranked prospect in the Rangers' system. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The good news stemming from the Gore trade is that the Rangers did not have to give up Sebastian Walcott. Walcott remains the top-ranked Rangers prospect on any list. From Law's list, Walcott comes in at No. 16.

The 19-year-old was signed in 2023 and is expected to make is debut in 2026, despite being under 20 years of age. In 2025, Walcott spent the entire season in Double-A. At that level, he slashed .255/.355/.386 with 13 home runs, 59 RBI, 70 walks and 32 stolen bases.

It would not be surprising to see Walcott get the nod to start the year in Triple-A. From there, Texas will be able to decide whether or not he is ready for big league competition. The Rangers are position-locked at shortstop with Core Seager, and Josh Jung is a solid third baseman. That means the best chance Walcott has to make his debut will come through an injury to the left side of the infield, or if he moves to second base.

Still, Walcott is an exciting prospect, and the Rangers will eagerly await his arrival. If it were not for him, Texas would have been given a much lower ranking from Law.

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