Paxton Kling didn’t need long to make a statement in the Arizona Fall League.
The Rangers’ Top 30 outfield prospect was the only Texas position player in the Surprise Saguaros’ starting lineup for Saturday’s AFL opener against Scottsdale, and he made the most of the opportunity. Kling finished 2-for-5 with two RBI in a 9-3 win, with his ninth-inning single driving in two runs.
It was a strong start, even if those RBI came in what was effectively late-game padding. He was one of four players in the lineup to collect at least two hits.
The biggest night belonged to Cleveland Guardians prospect Welbyn Francisca, who went 5-for-5 with three RBI and three runs.
Kling opened at right field and hit ninth, though that batting order spot may not stick if he keeps producing. The AFL is often a springboard for prospects on their way to the majors, and Texas is hoping the extra at-bats help set Kling up for a move to a higher affiliate in 2027.
That would fit the path he’s already on. Kling earned a late-season promotion to Double-A Frisco in 2026 after spending most of the year at High-A Hub City.
Across 89 games, he hit .243/.383/.361 with seven home runs and 34 RBI, added 15 doubles and a triple, and swiped 40 bases. Speed remains his calling card, and it’s part of why he fits what Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young has described as an organization trying to get younger and more athletic.
Texas selected Kling in the seventh round of the 2025 MLB draft out of Penn State. He also played at LSU, where he was part of a national title team, before transferring to Penn State for the 2025 season. The Roaring Springs, Penn., native was named Pennsylvania’s 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year.
There’s a real chance Kling begins 2027 back at Frisco, with Triple-A Round Rock within reach if he gets off to a strong first half.
He’s one of eight other Rangers prospects in the AFL besides Sebastian Walcott, the organization’s top prospect and the name drawing the most attention out there. The other Texas players invited were catcher Julian Brock, infielder Casey Cook and right-handed pitchers Alejandro Chiquillo, J'Briell Easley, Jesus Gamez, Jacob Johnson and Mason McConnaughey. Kling, Johnson and McConnaughey are the Rangers’ Top 30 prospects in the group.
Walcott joined the AFL late, and Texas plans to use him at shortstop only two or three times per week. On the days he isn’t in the field, he’ll keep working on defense and hitting on the side. He had UCL surgery in February, came back at the All-Star break as a designated hitter at Double-A Frisco and then started playing shortstop again at the end of the minor league season.
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