The Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox officially swapped "Bens" in a minor league trade, sending catcher Ben Hartl to the White Sox organization in exchange for Ben Peoples.
The purpose of any MLB farm system is to provide the pieces necessary to improve the Major League roster. While it is too early to definitively label this latest minor league trade a net positive, right-handed reliever Ben Peoples has the potential to help the Texas Rangers’ bullpen this season.
Ben Peoples
Peoples, 25, is no stranger to being part of trades. Originally drafted in the 22nd round of the 2019 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, he was moved to Chicago as part of the 2025 trade that sent pitcher Adrian Houser to the Rays in exchange for first baseman Curtis Mead, right-handed pitcher Duncan Davitt, and Peoples himself. Following that move, the right-hander officially converted from a starting pitcher to a full-time reliever in 2025.
There is a clear double-edged sword to Peoples’ game right now. Walks are indeed an issue for him; he has issued 21 walks in his 37.2 innings pitched for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights this season. On the other side, however, his ability to missing barrels is there as he has struck out 45 batters and carries a really nice 2.39 ERA at the highest level of the minors.
Across his overall minor league career, Peoples owns a 21-23 record with a 3.40 ERA in 349.2 total innings, racking up 411 strikeouts along the way.
The Arsenal
Peoples attacks hitters with a three-pitch mix consisting of a fastball, a slider, and a changeup. His fastball averages 95.7 MPH, serving as his primary weapon that he throws 65.6% of the time.
From an analytical standpoint, his slider features his best overall "Stuff+" metric at 109, generating a 35.1% chase rate and an elite 42.1% whiff rate. He utilizes the breaking ball 30.2% of the time. Meanwhile, his fastball grades out at a 104 Stuff+, pulling in a 26.9% chase rate and a 33.7% whiff rate. He rarely shows his changeup, throwing it just 4.2% of the time.
Moving on from Ben Hartl
Heading back to the White Sox organization in the deal is 23-year-old catcher Ben Hartl. The Rangers originally selected Hartl in the 14th round of the 2024 draft.
This season, the young backstop has spent his time in High-A with the Hub City Spartanburgers. Through his time in the South Atlantic League this summer, Hartl put up a slash line of .218/.369/.317 with a .686 OPS, adding 3 home runs, 16 RBIs, and 17 walks. The 3 home runs are a new single-season career high for him. Defensively, he has thrown out 12 of 38 attempted base stealers before the trade.
Stay tuned to The Prospect Times for further roster movements, prospect analysis, and deep-dive coverage across the Texas Rangers player development system.
