Ariel Jurado
Jurado came into this year as the No. 3 prospect in the entire Rangers organization. He is in a constant battle with Mendez as the best pitching prospect that Texas has. At just 21 years of age, that’s an amazing battle to be in. This Panamanian is young, strong, and capable. Barring any trade or injury-related setback, this is the future No. 1 of the Rangers rotation.
Like the two previous pitchers listed here, Jurado is capable of going the distance. He has just one outing, his first of the year, with less than 5.0 innings. He made it to 6.0 in half of his starts. It’s an impressive milestone for someone his age. Stamina and longevity will come in time.
In a total of 32.2 innings, Jurado has eight strikeouts and 11 walks. He has also given up 43 hits and 19 earned runs. Last year, he combined for a 1.98 groundout-to-flyout ratio, between High Desert and the RoughRiders.
Don’t let these stats turn you off. Developmentally, Jurado appears to be ahead of the game. He seems leaps and bounds past where he should be at his age. If the Rangers are your team, start watching this kid now. When he is the Texas ace, you can say you watched him grow into a phenom.