Rangers Minor League Award Winners Set Tone for Organization's Future

For the Texas Rangers, the focus the next two weeks is to claim a playoff berth that has eluded them since 2023. But in the minor leagues it's all about the future.

The Texas Rangers announced their 2026 minor league award winners. Five players from across the organization were selected as the standouts at respective positions and each has a role to play in the Major League club's future. Some may get there sooner than others.

Here are the award winners, what they did and how they fit in the future.

Player of the Year: INF Rafe Perich

Rafe Perich HAMMERS a 471-foot grand slam to highlight a 6-run inning 🤯

B3 | FRI 7, WCH 1 pic.twitter.com/IfZUydTN2o
— Frisco RoughRiders (@RidersBaseball) September 12, 2026

Rafe Perich is the Tom Grieve Rangers minor league player of the year after he slashed .315/.401/.586/.987 across 116 games between High-A Hub City and Double-A Frisco, belting an organization-high 27 home runs with 4 triples, 31 doubles, and 92 RBI.

What it means: Perich has a few things going for him. He's a switch hitter, and that is a valuable asset in modern baseball where the majority of hitters are right-handed. He's projected as a corner infielder at the Major League level but the No. 19 prospect per MLB Pipeline is projected to be ready as soon as next season.

First baseman Jake Burger and third baseman Josh Jung are under two more years of team control and free agents after 2028. Perich is positioning himself to replace one of them.

Pitcher of the Year: LHP Dalton Pence

6 scoreless and 6 Ks for Dalton Pence in friday’s @RidersBaseball win🔥 pic.twitter.com/fQkajxmcGH
— Rangers Player Development (@TEXPlayerDev) May 30, 2026

Pence went 6-4 with a 2.44 ERA, 45 walks, 117 strikeouts, and a 1.163 WHIP over 24 games/22 starts with Hub City (A+), Frisco (AA), and Round Rock (AAA) this season.

What it means: Pence was a non-roster invitee to Major League spring training last February and he impressed the Major League staff with his command. Moving up to Triple-A from High-A in one season is notable. So is the fact that Pence turned things around quickly after a slow start with the Express. The Rangers need more left-handed starting pitching, especially as MacKenzie Gore enters his final year of team control. Pence could be his replacement in 2028.

Reliever of the Year: LHP Louis Marinaro

Marinaro converted all eight save chances and went 7-2 with a 3.08 ERA in 36 relief appearances for Single-A Hickory in 2026, his first professional season.

What it means: Building up high-leverage relief arms in the minor league system has been a bit of a struggle for Texas. Getting an undrafted free agent like Marinaro — from Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., of all place — is a gift. He neeed to build a foundation at Hickory in 2026. Now the stage is set for a multi-affiliate jump in 2027. Production means everything at the lower levels of the system.

Defender of the Year: INF Yolfran Castillo

Yolfran Castillo! First homer of the season tonight for the talented teenage shortstop. He’s now hitting .303 on the year with a .827 OPS. pic.twitter.com/RbIvsDcROp
— Tepid Participation (@TepidP) May 15, 2026

Castillo finished the season with a .973 fielding percentage over a campaign spent primarily with Hickory, appearing at both shortstop (107 G) and third base (13 G). Castillo posted a .973 fielding pct. as a shortstop with Hickory, the second-highest figure among all non-first basemen/catchers at the A-ball level with 400-or-more total chances.

What it means: It isn't just his glove. This was his first full season at a minor league affilate and he was a constant offensive threat who stole 55 bases, which led the Carolina League. He's a projected middle infielder at the Major League level and, perhaps, a stealthy replacement for Corey Seager down the line.

True Ranger Award: RHP Evan Siary

Congratulations to @HickoryCrawdads RHP Evan Siary on winning Carolina League Player of the Month for July!

Siary recorded a 0.92 ERA over 19.2 IP with 27 Ks and a 0.66 WHIP. pic.twitter.com/1OJv5uvniW
— Rangers Player Development (@TEXPlayerDev) August 5, 2026

Siary went 7-3 with a 3.30 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 22 starts for Single-A Hickory this year, leading Carolina League qualifiers in both ERA and WHIP (1.10).

What it means: The award is given for "a player who represents the core values of the organization in a positive light both on and off the field." The reality is Siary paved his way to a position where he could jump a couple of affiliates next season. He was a starter at Hickory, but he has swingman potential at the MLB level.

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