The Texas Rangers farm system has movement again. The organization's No. 3 overall prospect AJ Russell (per MLB Pipeline) has been promoted from Single-A Hickory to High-A Hub City.
Russell was absolutely clinical for the Crawdads, spinning a beautiful 3.04 ERA across 11 starts and proving his elite stuff is too advanced for Single-A bats. Over 26.2 innings of work in Hickory, the towering right-hander racked up 43 strikeouts while issuing just 11 walks.
Rangers fans will remember he actually gave Hub City a sneak peek of what was coming back in May. After a fire damaged the visiting clubhouse at L.P. Frans Stadium, Russell threw three perfect frames in a sudden spot appearance for the Spartanburgers. While he returned to Hickory after that outing the promotion is now locked in.
The 2025 second-round pick stands at 6'6" and 223 lbs, and his massive frame has been giving opposing hitters fits all season. He has been especially devastating against right-handed hitters, holding them to a ridiculous .064/.154/.064 slash line with a microscopic .218 OPS. Lefties have been a different story, finding a bit more success to the tune of .309/.381/.436 (.817 OPS), which will likely be a primary focus for his development in High-A. If he keeps pounding the zone and punching tickets like he did in Hickory, it won't be long before we're talking about a ticket to Frisco.
Good luck to AJ in the South Atlantic League! I'm ready to see what he does with the Spartanburgers.
Stay tuned for the latest updates, breaking roster moves, and deep-dive coverage as these prospects climb their way through the Texas Rangers system.
