With the Rangers instructional league roster doing a four-city Texas tour post Arizona residency, this will be the first of two looks at both a pro squad and a well thought of college outfit. All players are using wood bats during this exhibition tour, which is a nice plus specifically for the amateurs who use metal bats in regular competition.
Dallas Baptist
We’ll start with the home side DBU Patriots, who have a recently renovated stadium that is great in which to watch games. The sightlines no matter where you sit are excellent, and it feels intimate because of the smaller size. Moving around for different angles of video and views, you get a great sense of the environment they’re cultivating. If you’re ever on a baseball trip, highly recommend making a stop west of Dallas proper to this hidden gem.
Onto the players themselves. This Patriots squad is LOADED, all-caps necessary to convey how good they appear. Starting in the field with third baseman Andrew Benefield. Listed at 6’4”, 202 lbs, Benefield is a tank in the field and at the plate. The fourth year redshirt sophomore hit three homers, two of them pulled to left and one to center. The power is easy and loud. Literally loud, as you’ll hear in the video below when Benefield fouls off a pitch.
If his dominance at the plate wasn’t enough, he looked a natural in the field also. The Louisville transfer turns 22 in November, and he should be on everyone’s radar. This might be the first time you’ve heard his name, but it won’t be the last.
Another Patriot for your consideration is catcher Nate Rombach. Another striking figure at 6’4”, 216 the third year sophomore moves well behind the plate especially for his size. Rombach commands his staff and fielders well. Another transfer, this time from Texas Tech, Rombach looks to build on his moderate success in Lubbock. Fun fact: Rombach was originally recruited by DBU and UT-Arlington before committing to the Red Raiders. A missed baseball connection if you will resolved, and it appears the second time is the charm for this potential laden backstop.
We’d be remiss not to mention outfielder Jace Grady. It wasn’t a stellar night for the third year sophomore, who did have an RBI single in the 6-6 tie. That shouldn’t take the shine off what will be a high draft pick next summer. Grady has been featured in our pages before, such as here where Grady cracks the top 25 of Brandon Smith’s Cape Cod Top 50 or here where Will Hoefer writes him up in one of his Cape Cod Live Looks. One average night doesn’t a star unmake.
The most interesting part of DBU’s roster is the pitching staff. On the night they struck out 18 Rangers across 12 innings, no small feat. What’s more impressive however is just how deep the staff is with large humans who throw hard. In particular tonight righty Kyle Amendt (6’5” 231 lbs 3rd year redshirt sophomore), righty Elijah Pleasants (6’4” 193 lbs 4th year junior), and freshman Ryan Johnson(6’5” 206 lbs true freshman) all took the mound for DBU. All three brought a similar skill set: High 90s with a breaking ball around 10 MPH or so difference down with the ability to get strikeouts. Johnson in particular is one to keep in mind for the future; the homeschooler out of Red Oak, Texas touched 97 on the gun several times and has a projectable frame.
This team is going to win a lot of games this season, then send a good amount of players to the draft. The program is deep, talent laden, and poised to make another run into the NCAA postseason. There’s a lot more coming out of the program on a west Dallas hill between now and next summer.
Rangers Instructional
Texas is hauling a big roster around for this quartet of games, which gives the opportunity for a variety of players to show. On Tuesday, two players took center stage above the rest.
2020 4th round pick Ian Moller showed a lot of why Texas wanted him with such a high pick.
Moller’s defense at catcher is outstanding, smooth as silk behind the plate and an obvious command of the diamond. There’s confidence in his everything between the lines, and it’s fantastic to see. The bat will be a work in progress, but that’s not a concern at the moment. The hardest part of Moller’s job is the one at which he’s already good. That’s quite something.
The other standout for Texas Tuesday was another 2021 draftee, 11th round outfielder JoJo Blackmon. An 11th rounder who was recruited as a wide receiver by a pair of SEC universities, Blackmon has elite speed to the point of it potentially being the best single tool in the Texas system. The wheels weren’t on display at Horner Ballpark however; Blackmon hit a pair of no doubt homers which powered the Texas offense.
It’s a nice swing for Blackmon, though projecting any sort of advanced power feels ambitious and maybe even a bit foolish. That said, it’s nice to know that’s potentially in the tool shed. Blackmon is one to watch, because of his unique skill set.
As far as other names who showed something, let’s introduce you to righty Josh Stephan. The soon to be 20 year old only has 40 professional innings after signing as an UDFA in 2020, and only 12 of those above the Arizona Complex League.
This is a potential hidden gem for Texas; Stephan got the start and showed impressive qualities. A fastball that ran 92-94 and touched 94, a two seamer that ran 88-91, a changeup in the 83-85 range, and a breaking ball that resembled a slider in the same velo range as the change. Stephan’s listed at 6’3” 197 lbs, and there might be room for a little more added onto that frame. The delivery is simple and repeatable. The burn time on this one could be awhile, but stash the name away.
A bit of a tough night for 2nd round pick Aaron Zavala. The former Ducks catcher played right field, which seems to be his new position. His outing is definitely a case of it being a single game, without much to report. The video below shows him taking a walk later in the game, which gives a look at his plate patience. It’s one of the reasons Texas was high on the Oregon product.
Cam Cauley, the 3rd rounder, got in and made a good plate late in the infield. Keithron Moss also had a strong showing on a double play situation midway through the evening. Outside of that, it was a largely quiet night for team blue. They have two more games to impress: Thursday 10/28 against Baylor and Friday 10/29 against TCU.