The Texas Rangers don’t have a full slate of affiliates going right now, which makes the Frisco RoughRiders’ playoff run stand out even more. Triple-A Round Rock is finishing up its regular season at home against Tacoma, but Frisco is the club carrying the postseason spotlight as the Rangers’ Double-A team pushes through the Texas League playoffs.
Frisco opened with a wild one Tuesday night in Amarillo, taking Game 1, 8-7. The teams had Wednesday off, then were set to meet again Thursday in Frisco, with a third game coming Friday if needed.
It took extra innings to settle the opener. Max Wagner scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, and Jonathan Brand finished it off for the save after working around a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk.
Winning in the postseason matters at any level, but for the Rangers, this is about more than a trophy. The RoughRiders are showing off a group of players that the organization views as a real part of its future.
It’s tempting to start with Sebastian Walcott, the club’s top prospect and the No. 9 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He didn’t reach Frisco until after the All-Star break, by which time the RoughRiders had already essentially locked up a playoff berth as the Texas League sends the first-half and second-half winners into the postseason. Even so, Walcott’s arrival only strengthened an already impressive roster.
The bigger picture is the depth around him. Rafe Perich, the infielder recently named the Rangers’ Tom Grieve minor league player of the year, is part of it.
So are four more players in MLB Pipeline’s Top 30: catcher Malcolm Moore at No. 6, outfielder Dylan Dreiling at No. 13, outfielder Paxton Kling at No. 20, and right-hander Leandro Lopez at No. 27.
Moore, the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2024 out of Stanford, has turned in a breakthrough season. Dreiling, also a 2024 pick out of Tennessee, has done the same. Lopez spent time in Major League camp with the Rangers, and his arm has earned plenty of respect inside the organization.
That collection gives Frisco a look that feels bigger than one playoff run. Walcott projects as a future shortstop, though he has the versatility to handle other spots.
Perich brings power and gives the Rangers a corner-infield possibility who could eventually fit at third base or first base in place of Josh Jung or Jake Burger. Dreiling has climbed so fast that the Rangers could eventually make room for the Tennessee slugger by moving on from a young Major League outfielder.
Lopez profiles as a starter in the big leagues, but his power arm could also make him a fit in relief.
The Rangers want the RoughRiders to come home with a title. But just as important is what this group could mean down the line. This may be the core of the next wave, and it’s a group fans will likely be watching closely in 2027 when many of them reach Triple-A Round Rock.
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