Carter, Langford headline Rangers' Organization All-Stars

Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each organization and honors the players -- regardless of age or prospect status -- who had the best seasons in each farm system. Next up in our 2023 Organization All-Stars series are the Texas Rangers.

2023 organization summary:
Triple-A Round Rock: 89-60
Double-A Frisco: 64-73
High-A Hickory: 70-55
Single-A Down East: 66-61
ACL Rangers: 23-33
DSL Rangers Red: 30-25
DSL Rangers Blue: 19-36
Overall record: 361-343 (12th among MLB organizations)
Midseason Farm System Rankings: 10

Rangers 2023 Organization All-Stars

C: Liam Hicks
A+/AA: .275/.414/.372, 92 G, 4 HR, 45 RBI, 35 R, 59 BB, 7 SB
After an impressive full-season debut last year that earned him his first Organization All-Star nod, the 24-year-old is back on this list for a second straight year. Hicks continued his development on the fast track through Texas' system, playing his way to Double-A Frisco while not only swinging a hot bat but also proving his value behind the dish. "His baseball instincts are off the charts and he's a very savvy player," Rangers director of player development Josh Bonifay said. "Overall, he's improved his receiving and continues to improve his throwing, and he's an excellent game caller. Just special at the plate too, ability to hit to all fields and takes his walks too."

1B: Abimelec Ortiz (TEX No. 14)
A/A+: .294/.371/.619, 109 G, 33 HR, 101 RBI, 78 R, 49 BB, 1 SB
After a pair of nondescript seasons as a pro, the 21-year-old found his mojo at the plate and hit everything in sight across both A levels of the Rangers' system. Ortiz led the Minors in slugging, ranked fourth in homers (33) and OPS (.990) and won MVP honors in the South Atlantic League after topping the High-A circuit with 26 homers in just 80 games en route to being named Texas' Hitting Prospect of the Year. "His ability to handle breaking balls and his ability to put bat on ball was really strong this year," Bonifay said. "And I don't think he gets the props at first base that he should. He works really hard defensively, especially on picking the balls at first."

2B: Justin Foscue (TEX No. 6)
AAA: .266/.394/.468, 122 G, 18 HR, 84 RBI, 94 R, 85 BB, 14 SB
The 24-year-old continued to show why he was selected No. 14 overall in the 2020 Draft by the Rangers with another stellar campaign. While Foscue continued to be a steady presence on the diamond, proving he can handle second, third and first -- it's his plate discipline that made the most significant improvement this year. Foscue led the organization with 85 walks -- third in the Pacific Coast League -- nearly doubling his total walks from last year (45). "It's not often you have a player finish with more walks than strikeouts," Bonifay said. "He really commands the strike zone. Great patience at the plate. Very rarely do you think Foscue is out of an at-bat."

3B: Davis Wendzel
AAA: .236/.361/.477, 124 G, 30 HR, 74 RBI, 84 R, 77 BB, 3 SB
The 26-year-old found his power dial this season, and then turned it all the way to max. The organization was hopeful that Wendzel would tap into his natural power more, and did he ever this season. The 5-foot-10, 206-pound righty-swinger mashed 30 home runs and 19 doubles for the Express -- finishing tied atop the circuit in dingers and second behind Ortiz for long balls within the organization. "His ability to lay off pitches out of the zone and make those smart swing decisions really elevated him this season," Bonifay said. "He has a lot of power, but he's also an elite defender with a very good internal clock. Can play all over the infield. He's got big league versatility and we think he's going to help us in Texas very soon."

SS: Sebastian Walcott (TEX No. 3, MLB No. 62)
ROK/A+: .246/.335/.471, 48 G, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 32 R, 23 BB, 12 SB
Ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 8 international prospect for the 2023 class, the Bahamas native joined the Rangers for $3.2 million in January and quickly moved stateside, playing his way to High-A Hickory as a 17-year-old. Walcott is an emerging power-speed threat, and his plus-plus arm should help him play short, third or even right field, wherever Texas feels his skills best fit down the line. "He's seeing some advanced pitching at a very young age and he's handling himself," Bonifay said. "He's got big time power, but his IQ is off the charts too. You tell him something one time and he immediately starts to make adjustments. He can make them in game and sometimes even within an at-bat. He's going to be a special player."

OF: Evan Carter (TEX No. 1, MLB No. 8)
ROK/AA/AAA: .288/.413/.450, 108 G, 13 HR, 67 RBI, 79 R, 81 BB, 26 SB
Very rarely does a prospect open the year at Double-A and finish it with a World Series title, but that's the improbable run that Carter made this season. Throw in a three-game rehab stint at the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League to really add to the unlikeliness of it all for good measure, and you've got a storybook season for the 21-year-old who made his debut in The Show on Sept. 8 and wasn't just part of Texas' championship run but a pivotal piece of it. "There really isn't much that Carter can't do well, and he showed that on the biggest stage in the game," Bonifay said. "Above average outfielder in center and left, makes smart decisions throwing to the bases, one of our highest sprint speeds in the organization, can hit it to all fields, bunt, steal a bag. Just an elite athlete and player."

OF: J.P. Martínez
A+/AA/AAA: .297/.425/.538, 82 G, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 58 R, 63 BB, 41 SB
It was a breakout campaign for the 27-year-old, who really found his stride with Triple-A Round Rock. Over 77 games with the Express, the Cuban native slashed .298/.418/.543 with 39 extra-base hits and set a career-high with 41 total stolen bases -- finishing with the third most in the PCL with 38 swipes for Round Rock. "He honed in on strike zone discipline and swinging at pitches he can do damage on," Bonifay said. "He also showed his speed on the bases and covering the outfield this season."

OF: Wyatt Langford (TEX No. 2, MLB No. 13)
ROK/A+/AA/AAA: .360/.480/.677, 44 G, 10 HR, 30 RBI, 36 R, 36 BB, 12 SB
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 Draft out of Florida had a reputation for hitting the cover off the ball, and he lived up to the billing in his first pro season. Playing his way through four levels of the Rangers' system, Langford did just that at every stop: hit. Maybe, more accurately, mash. "He's an animal," Bonifay said, adding a chuckle. "Extremely strong, physical player. Advanced bat speed, power all over the field, and he's just so explosive. He understands the strike zone and doesn't miss mistakes -- they travel a long way."

RHP: Jose Corniell
A/A+: 8-3, 2.92 ERA, 101 2/3 IP, 119 K, 31 BB, .194 BAA, 0.99 WHIP
Corniell raised his game to a new level this year, pacing the Rangers' system in ERA (2.92), opponent average (.194) and K/BB ratio (3.8) while finishing second with 119 punchouts over a career-high 101 2/3 innings between Down East and Hickory. "He gets ahead of hitters and has multiple weapons to put them away," Bonifay said. "He's got an explosive fastball and shows great command of all of his pitches. Still just 20, we're excited about his tremendous upside."

LHP: Mitch Bratt (TEX No. 17)
A+: 2-3, 3.54 ERA, 61 IP, 73 K, 17 BB, .244 BAA, 1.26 WHIP
The 20-year-old took an interesting path to pro ball, leaving his native Canada to go to a Georgia prep school, as pandemic restrictions allowed. He was dominant in his first full season at Down East last year and continued to progress with Hickory this season, posting the fourth-best K/BB ratio (21.2 percent) among pitchers in the organization with at least 60 innings. "He's not afraid of hitters. He goes right into attack mode and uses his slider to put them away," Bonifay said. "He also has excellent deception with his fastball and great arm speed with his change. He fills up the strike zone with all of his pitches."

RP: Antoine Kelly (TEX No. 26)
AA/AAA: 3-1, 2.04 ERA, 57 1/3 IP, 79 K, 23 BB, .206 BAA, 1.19 WHIP
Few relievers exhibited the dominance that the flame-throwing 24-year-old did this season across the upper levels of the Minors. The left-hander lit up radar guns, frequently flashing triple digits with his heater, across the Texas League and PCL. Kelly finished a perfect 11-for-11 in save opportunities over 43 appearances with Frisco while sporting a .194 average against. "He just overpowered hitters with his heater and then used his slider to put them away when he had to," Bonifay said. "He made the jump to Triple-A and there was no difference in his performance. He just continued to pump strikes and challenge hitters and his stuff was just filthy. Hopefully he helps us this year, really soon."