Dallas Sports Nation had a TOP 20  countdown before spring training began in Surprise Arizona. As we approach midway through the season, there are adjustments that need to be made. Injuries have caused many top prospects to fall off the preseason list. They are still considered top talent. However, the rise of healthy players has caused major changes to the DSN list.

Many who have jumped past others as they are shut down this year. Some on the preseason list was already injured. The fact they are still not playing has dropped them out of the top 20.

Injured Players Who Have Dropped off of Pre Season List

Kyle Cody, Cole Ragans, Alex Speas

Honorable Mention: Players Just out of the Top 20

Diosbel Arias, Ryan Dorow, Jonathan Hernandez, Davis Wendzel (2019 Draft), Ryan Garcia (2019 Draft), Curtis Terry, John King, Ronny Henriquez

DALLAS SPORTS NATION: TOP PROSPECTS 20-11

Click on players name for stats

20. Sherton Apostel 3B: ⇓ (Pre Season List #16) Apostel is at Hickory and started out very poorly. He has got hot in the month of June. He is has raised his average up to .257 with 10 HR’s. He has always been a selective hitter and has proven that. He was the PTBNL in the Kela trade with the Pirates along with Taylor Hearn.

19. Yonny Hernandez 2B: ⇑ (Pre Season List N/R) Hernandez has caught the eye of everyone. In my interview with Down East Play by Play announcer Matt Present, he said Yonny was the one who surprised him the most. He is hitting .298 with Down East. Not very big, Hernandez still barrels the ball well. He hasn’t hit any long balls, but has an OBP of .423.

18. Jason Bahr RHP: ⇑ (Pre Season List N/R) Bahr has jumped up the rankings after coming over to Rangers along with Austin Jackson and Cory Gearrin in 2018. Bahr was the target. Jackson and Gearrin were moves aimed at unloading salary by the Giants. This year Bahr was 6-1 with a 1.71 ERA at Down East. He was recently promoted to Frisco where he went 5 scoreless innings.

17. Chris Seise SS: ⇓ (Pre Season List #12) Seise started off hot at the beginning of the season. He cooled off a bit before getting injured again. He spent all of 2018 on the IL with an injury to his throwing shoulder. This year he injured his non throwing shoulder sliding into second base. Seise is considered to be the top prospect by some, but the second season missed is a huge setback. Had he not gotten hurt, he would be in the top 10 for sure.

16. Taylor Hearn LHP: ⇓ (Pre Season List #14) Hearn is a part of the Rangers future even with the disastrous start for his Major League Debut. He started the season at Nashville and there were good things happening. The numbers were nor flashy, but he improved with every start before getting the call. After the Seattle disaster, he complained of tightness in the elbow. He has been relegated to the major league 60 day IL, but would be in Nashville if healthy. Some think his future might be in the bull pen. Either way, if not injured he would have gone up in the rankings.

15. Osleivis Basabe IF:⇑(Pre Season List N/R) Basabe is a name to watch. Signed out of Venezuela in 2017, the then 17 year old has been impressive. He hit .344 in the Dominican Summer League as an 18 year old in 2018. He also had an OBP of .414. He has come to the states this year and is playing for the AZL Rangers. He is hitting .400 to start the season. He is young. However he is turning heads.

14. Yerry Rodriquez RHP: ⇑ (Pre Season Rank #17) Rodriguez is on the fast track to becoming a top 10 prospect. He is pitching for Hickory and dominating. With 11 starts, Yerry is 7-2 with a 1.77 ERA. He has pitched 61 innings while striking out 71 and only walking 20. His fastball is electric and he is challenging hitters. He will turn 22 this fall. Expect him to be in Down East at some point during the second half of the season. Should he continue to put up these numbers, he may end the year in Frisco. Although the Rangers are probably monitoring his innings.

13. Demarcus Evans RHP: ⇑ (Pre Season Rank #18) Dallas Sports Nation predicted Evans would be in the big leagues by the end of 2019. He was promoted to Frisco after a stellar start at Down East. In 17 games he pitched 22.1 innings and struck out 40. His ERA was an eye opening 0.81 over that period. Walks are the biggest thing Evans needs to work on. He walked 17 in those 22 innings. He has continued at Frisco to impress. He has pitched in 8 games and 11 innings. He struck out 17 and walked 8 with an ERA of 2.45. Evans is a big man and has a big future. 

12. Emmanuel Clase RHP: ⇑ (Pre Season Rank N/R) The Padres traded Clase to the Rangers for journey man catcher Brett Nicholas. Give the Rangers scouting department and Jon Daniels credit. Clase is electric. His fastball consistently touches 100-102 with a spin rate of 2500-2600. He was never scored on in 6 games for Down East before being promoted. He has struggled a bit at Frisco. But the arm cannot be ignored. He is only 21 and still learning. Clase is without a doubt, a possible future closer. Padres may be regretting letting him go. 

11. Anderson Tejeda:⇓ (Pre Season Rank #3) Tejeda was expected by most, to start the season in Frisco. He played 2018 for Down East and hit 19 HR’s. However the decision was made for him to be a switch hitter. He started off well and seemed destined for an early call up to the Roughriders. But he cooled off and was only hitting .234 before going on the IL at the end of May. He was sidelined with shoulder discomfort. Still barely 21, he should have no issue asserting himself back into the top 5. Only expected to be down a couple of weeks, he is close to month out of the lineup. 

Featured Image: Frisco Roughriders (Clase)