Introduction
The explosion of interest in the trading card hobby has brought both new and old collectors into the fold. As many Ranger fans look to delve back into baseball card collecting, it can be confusing to know where to get started given the sheer number of options. For those interested in delving into the world of prospecting, Topps Bowman has been the hobby standard for decades. This article will seek to discuss ten of the Rangers top prospects that have debut Bowman autographs and cards, known as “1st Bowmans”, and analyze both their future in the Rangers organization and the trading card hobby at large.
Prospects
#1 Evan Carter – OF
Base Auto: $150
Debut: 2020 Bowman Draft
Evan Carter has seen one of the most dramatic rises within the prospecting community since his debut in the 2021 season, becoming the flagship prospect within an increasingly deep Rangers farm system. Carter has shown glimpses of elite plate approach, with a 9.4% SWST and 0.75 BB/K-ratio in AA this season. This approach paired with impressive bat speed and above average speed on the basepaths has resulted in an 0.869 OPS and 8 HR through the first half of the season in Frisco. The big question mark with Carter will be his ability to generate enough power to take that jump into stardom. Should he put it all together, Carter has true 5-tool upside and could provide a consistent outfield presence for the Rangers for years to come.
Carter saw his Bowman debut in 2020 Bowman Draft, but his relative unknown status due to covid scouting limitations saw his initial auto prices fall well below $40. Following his impressive 2022 campaign that concluded with the late promotion to Frisco and Texas League Championship, the hobby began to take notice and his prices have since been on a steady rise. While by far the most expensive Rangers prospect currently in the hobby, Carter’s prices still fall shy of fellow outfield MLB Top 10 prospects Jackson Chourio and James Wood who have more power first profiles, leaving optimism for future increased value as Carter pushes for an MLB callup.
#2 Owen White – SP
Base Auto: $15
Debut: 2018 Bowman Draft
Owen White is another one of the Ranger’s more successful second round pickups in recent drafts, as the 6’ 3” righty out of North Carolina has quickly risen to become the consensus top arm in the Rangers system. White’s rise up the rankings was fueled by a deep pitch arsenal that paired a 95-mph fastball with a plus slider and cutter that consistently outclassed High-A and AA batters. In 2023 his fastball velocity has seen a slight drop to the 92-94 range along with an increase in HR/9 and drop in K/9 that has caused many evaluators to tempter expectations. Should White be able to regain his 2022 form and stay healthy, he still possesses an aggressive approach and the tools needed to be an effective middle rotation starter at the MLB level.
White made his Bowman debut in 2018 Bowman Draft and has become one of the more popular pitching prospects in the set. As a pitcher, White will never touch the hobby value that hitting prospects will. However, his aggressive approach has already won him several fans, and he presents a cheap option for Ranger collectors to begin building a collection with. Already in AAA and having made his MLB debut, don’t be surprised to see him pick up more hobby interest if he’s pushed back into service for the Ranger’s final playoff push later this year.
#3 Luisangel Acuña – SS
Base Auto: $80
Debut: 2020 Bowman Chrome
Luisangel Acuña was signed out of Venezuela in 2018 for $425,000 and has quickly risen to be the top INF prospect in the farm system. In the batter’s box, Acuña uses a large load and leg kick to explode towards the ball with extremely quick hands. While his impressive contact skills means he doesn’t excessively strikeout, his lack of patience can limit his home run production and lead to high ground ball rates as he is susceptible to chasing breaking pitches down in the zone. After initially struggling following a late promotion to AA last season, Acuña has adjusted and posted an impressive 0.315 AVG and 0.818 OPS so far this season in Frisco. He’s also likely the best baserunner in the farm system, going 34/37 on SB attempts in 2023. Defensively he’s excelled at SS despite his size, and has recently been seeing limited playing time in CF. If he can continue to refine his approach and chase rate, Acuña’s explosive swing and aggressive offensive approach could quickly earn him many fans in Arlington should he be able to force his way into the lineup in the coming year.
As the younger brother of Ronald Acuña, Luisangel saw large scale hobby hype in 2020 at the peak of prices during the pandemic. Since then, his card prices have cooled considerably, but given that he has no non-auto Bowman 1st cards, there is an extra element of rarity that also helped see fellow SS prospect Vaughn Grissom’s prices skyrocket last year following his callup to the Braves. Should Luisangel find success at the MLB level, his name power and limited card run could both serve to boost his profile and value inside the hobby.
#6 Justin Foscue – 2B/3B
Base Auto: $20
Debut: 2020 Bowman Draft
The Ranger’s 2020 1st Round Pick, Justin Foscue has seen a steady progression through the minors but remains one of the more polarizing prospects in the system. To start with the positives, Foscue has consistently refined his plate approach where he now has a 1.23 B/KK-ratio in AAA and his contact rate on pitches in the zone would rank among the elite in the MLB. He also added muscle and made an adjustment to his swing late last season that has brough some more power into his game, but he has slowed considerably due to the added weight. His defense and arm are fringy at best, and many scouts believe he will end up at 1B at the MLB level. These negatives have led many to question his ability to break into the current Ranger’s roster, and the upcoming trade deadline has seen numerous rumors swirling around his future within the organization. Despite these concerns, Foscue’s 0.913 OPS in AAA this season indicates he may be ready to take that next step to the MLB level if given the chance.
Foscue has seen his hobby value hurt significantly over the past 12 months as younger Ranger prospects have begun to grab headlines and move up rankings. Should Foscue be unable to break into the first team, a move to a team with an open spot at 2B would likely be the best option to preserve some hobby value. He still possesses a great plate approach that could bear fruit at the next level, but the pressure is certainly on.
#7 Dustin Harris – LF/1B
Base Auto: $10
Debut: 2022 Bowman
Acquired from the Oakland Athletics as a part of the Mike Minor trade, Dustin Harris broke onto the scene in 2021 where he flashed impressive power and exit velos that saw him rocket up the prospecting boards. Since then, Harris has relatively come back down to earth with a noticeable slide in his in-game power and exit velocities in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Given that his average arm and fielding abilities likely have him pegged as a corner outfielder at the MLB level, Harris will need to tap back into that plus power abilities he has previously flashed in order to be an impact player at the next level.
Dustin Harris’ hobby value has experienced the squeeze of being in a deep organization with increased competition for playing time at the MLB level. With Carter and Langford encompassing the top OF prospects in the organization, Harris will be under heavy pressure to perform. On the positive, he has shown glimpses of a return to his 2021 power numbers so far after his recent promotion to AAA, but his future hobby value will likely rest on his ability to lock down a spot in LF sooner rather than later.
#8 Aaron Zavala – OF
Base Auto: $15
Debut: 2021 Bowman Draft
Zavala was taken as an early second round pick in the 2021 Draft out of Oregon by the Rangers, as a contact over power hitter with a refined plate approach. In 2022, Zavala would push his way into AA spearheaded by solid contact and a 15-18% BB-rate across High-A and AA. However, this rapid rise would come to a dramatic halt during the Arizona Fall League when he blew out his throwing arm and required tommy john surgery. Since returning this summer, Zavala has looked extremely rusty and seen a dramatic rise in strikeout rates and drops in contact rates. He will need to get back to his old self if he wishes to continue pushing for a spot in an ever-crowded outfield in Arlington.
Before his injury, Zavala’s hobby value was rapidly on the rise, but has since plummeted back under $20. Should he return to his prior form, Zavala might have the most impressive plate discipline in the farm system and can regain his hobby value. The second half of the season will be crucial to see if Zavala can return to form and take that next step or become another victim of untimely injuries in the minors.
#10 Anthony Gutierrez – OF
Base Auto: $20
Debut: 2022 Bowman Chrome
Anthony Gutierrez was the crown jewel of the Ranger’s 2022 international signing class and quickly impressed in the DSL before being moved over to the Arizona CPX before the end of the season. The Rangers continued to be aggressive in 2023 and assigned Gutierrez to their Low-A affiliate in Down East where he has struggled, particularly in generating consistent power and being over aggressive. As one of the youngest players in the tier, Gutierrez still has plenty of time to address issues and has looked better since returning from a minor injury.
Gutierrez was one of the more intriguing prospects in 2022 Bowman Chrome and saw initial prices exceeding $50 before his prices cooled down at the start of the season. Still young, Gutierrez presents a medium-risk investment for those that believe he can turn it around while facing such advanced pitching at his age. If in the long run Gutierrez develops into the power first outfielder many scouts believe he can be, his current prices will be looked back on as a steal.
#11 Tekoah Roby – SP
Base Auto: $8
Debut: 2020 Bowman Draft
The Ranger’s Third Round Pick in the 2020 Draft, Roby has been one of the more consistent pitching prospects in the farm system since his acquisitions. Scouts are split on just how good his four-pitch repertoire is, but at the high end some see his curveball as one of the best in the minors paired with a 60-grade fastball that sits at 94-95 mph. Key to Roby’s development will be improvements in his control, as he has a tendency to miss in the middle of the zone leading to hard contact. His 5.05 ERA at the time of writing looks concerning, but with a 3.93 xFIP, it is clear that Roby has suffered from a lack of defensive help during some of his outings.
As a pitcher, Roby likely won’t have much long-term hobby value. However, as the Rangers continue to look for starting pitching internally, he will likely be given a chance to earn a place in the rotation over the next two years and prove a cheap pickup for Ranger fans who fall in love with his devastating curve.
#12 Yeison Morrobel – OF
Base Auto: $5
Debut: 2022 Bowman Chrome
The Rangers signed Yeison Morrobel out of the Dominican Republic for $1.8M, and he was one of the more impressive hitters in both the DSL and Arizona CPX over his first two seasons. This left many having high expectations for Morrobel entering the 2023 season in Low-A. After a very slow start, he finally began to turn it around during the summer before having his season cut short thanks to a shoulder injury. One of the biggest questions facing Morrobel would be if he could add power to his game, with him seeing a rather large regression in that department in 2023 posting only 3 XBH across 151 AB. This leaves Morrobel with large question marks regarding his ability to have a true plus tool after he comes back from the injury next season.
Morrobel’s hobby prices have heavily sunk following his season ending injury and will likely not rebound until his return at some point next year. While Morrobel maintained an impressive ability to draw walks, his inability to generate XBH will prevent large scale hobby interest until improvement is shown.
#15 Thomas Saggese – 2B/3B
Base Auto: $15
Debut: 2020 Bowman Draft
The Rangers were able to sign Thomas Saggese away from his Pepperdine commitment for an over-slot $800,000 in the 2020 Draft as their 5th Round Pick. His hit tool has consistently been his strongest, with his arm and speed largely being considered fringe at best, with Saggese hitting over 0.300 at all tiers over the past two seasons. There was always talk that Saggese could reach a 20HR ceiling if he added some muscle, but this season we finally have seen his true offensive breakout. Through 358 PA Saggese has 36 XBH including 13 HR which is good for a 0.908 OPS at the time of writing. Should Saggese maintain this power output, his stock should continue to rise and add to the pool of impressive infield prospects in the Rangers’ upper minors.
Saggese has never previously attracted the same level of hobby hype as other Ranger infield prospects like Acuña. However, his increased power output has finally allowed him to start picking up some hobby interest. While his defensive future at 2B will limit his potential value, he seems ready for an explosion in interest and value over the next six months should this increased power output continue.
