Everyone knows Jack Leiter’s name. Baseball runs in his family and his promise is grand. The man picked right after him by the Texas Rangers in the 2021 MLB Draft is making sure you didn’t forget him, though. That would be outfielder Aaron Zavala.
Zavala, who turned 22 in June, is having a dominant season in the minors for the Rangers. Night after night, it feels like the former Oregon Duck is doing something else incredible. How about two walk-offs in one week in Double-A, for example?
Aaron Zavala is a name to know within the Texas Rangers farm system in 2022
If you haven’t learned his name yet, we strongly suggest you do so. Aaron Zavala is emerging from Jack Leiter’s fanfare and shadow in the best way.
Zavala is destroying the minor leagues this season, his first full pro season, with a .906 OPS in 95 games played. More importantly? He has a 1.158 OPS since arriving at Double-A Frisco, where he’s played the last 14 contests.
The 22-year-old has always had a knack for hitting, and was touted for his polish at the dish coming out of college, but no one could’ve foreseen him becoming this prolific, shooting up the Rangers’ prospect ranks to become one of the most exciting players in the system.
The Rangers have a lack of outfield talent at the big league level
It’s well-known that the Texas Rangers have a lack of outfield talent (generally speaking) at the MLB level. Between Aaron Zavala and fellow prospect Evan Carter, though, that situation could be remedied rather quickly. The former has really caught our attention, if only because his ceiling is lower than Carter’s (higher floor, on the other hand), but he is clearly fast-tracking to the majors.
Zavala not only has exceptional bat-to-ball skills, but the Rangers also believe he has pop in his bat that has yet to be discovered. He has 13 home runs in 2022, for what it’s worth. Not too shabby in just less than 100 games played. That power would only add to his skyrocketing profile.
Scouts have him profiled as a left fielder, though he also has right field experience. Either way, Aaron Zavala appears to have a very promising future as a future big bopper for the Texas Rangers.
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