This system is incredibly young, which is the flip side of saying there isn't a lot of help coming at the upper levels right now, other than the two starting pitchers the Rangers placed on the top 100. The Rangers have traded out of their system very aggressively the past few years, including megadeals for Cole Hamels and Jonathan Lucroy. While the big league team is much improved, the farm’s upper levels are the thinnest they’ve been in six or seven years. There was a lot to like in low-A and short-season for the Rangers last year, but those are prospects for the next wave.

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1. Leody Taveras, OF (ranked No. 35)

2. Ariel Jurado, RHP (ranked No. 64)

3. Yohander Mendez, LHP (ranked No. 75)

4. Ronald Guzman, 1B

5. Josh Morgan, IF/C

6. Anderson Tejeda, SS

7. Brett Martin, LHP

8. Joe Palumbo, LHP

9. Cole Ragans, LHP

10. Andy Ibanez, 2B

Non-top-100 guys

Ronald Guzman had a full, healthy year and really broke out at the plate in a broad way, leaving High Desert for Double-A Frisco and hitting better with more power at the second level, probably in no small part because he didn’t get hurt. Guzman is huge and used to have a longer swing, but in 2016, he toned it down and started going to left and center field more often. I think his bat’s a little slow, and good velocity on the inner half might cause him problems, but the new approach and results are a very positive sign.

Josh Morgan had a solid year in High Desert, a tremendous hitters’ park -- and fortunately for the Rangers, no longer hosting a team -- while playing short, second and third, but the Rangers continue to toy with the idea of making him a catcher, which is the one position where I think he’d be a real star. If the kid is willing, I say do it. Otherwise, he’s probably an average-at-best second baseman, a Howie Kendrick sort of bat with contact but not much power or OBP.

Anderson Tejeda was signed two years ago for $100K and came into power suddenly last year at age 18, though scouts say there’s no chance at short. Although the bat speed is tremendous, Tejada doesn’t have the approach to match it yet.

Brett Martin is 91-94 with an average curve and changeup, throwing everything for strikes. He missed almost three months of 2016 with a sprained elbow ligament, returned in late August and went up a level to high-A to finish the season in High Desert.

Joe Palumbo was in the mid-80s in 2015, occasionally touching 90-91, but last year, he started sitting low 90s and touching 96. His arm works well, and his curveball is above-average too. The questions are whether his slight build can hold up as a starter and whether he can hold on to this newfound velocity.

Cole Ragans was the team’s first overall pick in 2016, coming in the sandwich round, a projectable left-hander who’s 89-92 now with a good curveball but a violent delivery that I think will need an overhaul just to let him repeat it and get online to the plate.

Andy Ibanez destroyed low-A Hickory last year at 23, so the Rangers promoted the Cuban defector two levels to Double-A, where he struggled early but eventually made better contact and resumed getting on base -- but without much power. If there are 10-15 homers in there, which I think there are, he might be a regular at second base.

Right-hander Connor Sadzeck (11) looks the part of a starter, with a 6-foot-7, 240-pound body and plus-plus fastball, but he has no changeup at all -- lefties hit .270/.367/.502 off him in double-A last year -- and he has a hard time keeping his delivery online to the plate to establish fastball command. I think he ends up a power reliever. Michael De Leon (12) was 19 in high-A last year and has been young for everywhere he has played, debuting in low-A at 17. He’s a gifted defender at shortstop and could certainly be a utility guy if the bat never comes along, but I think there’s potential there because he has good enough hand-eye coordination that he never strikes out, despite a swing that is totally uncontrolled.

Third-rounder Kole Enright (13) has present power and strong hands, but his body doesn’t have projection, and he’s going to have to work to stay at the hot corner. Drew Robinson (14) might be an interesting bench bat who can take reps at first, second, third or in any outfield spot, but he doesn’t hit lefties at all and probably doesn’t have the right match of offensive and defensive ability at any one position to be a regular. Kyle Cody (15), the Rangers' sixth-round pick last year, worked as a starter in short-season last summer, but I think he’s more likely to succeed as a two-pitch reliever who can touch 99 and has a power slider to miss bats. Jose Trevino (16) is probably going to be a longtime big-league backup catcher, but I don’t think he’s going to have the bat to start.

Outfielder Eric Jenkins (17) can run like Leroy but hits like Fergie. Right-hander Alex Speas (18) is the more typical Rangers draft pick: 80 athletic, big velocity, super-high ceiling and no idea where it’s going right now. He looks fantastic in the uniform, though. Mike Matuella (19) made one appearance in 2016, got hurt again and missed the rest of the year. Yeyson Yrizarri (20) got a $1.35 million bonus in 2013 as a 16-year-old, and though he has turned into a good defensive shortstop, he has made almost zero progress with the bat, posting a 91:9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in low-A last year at 19. He’s young enough to improve. It isn't as if he has room to get worse.

I thought Jairo Beras (21) was ready for a step forward at the plate last year, but he’s just too pull-oriented, so he shows power but isn’t going to hit enough to get to it without a major adjustment to his approach. Outfielder Scott Heineman (22) has had a ton of injury issues the past two years, both at the University of Oregon and after signing, so 2016 marked his pro debut at age 23, with an assignment right to high-A High Desert. He was old for that level, and as I mentioned earlier, it’s a great place to hit, but he does have above-average power and speed. If he hits like this in Double-A, I’ll buy in more fully.

2017 impact: Nobody. This system is young, and the major league roster seems completely full already. Maybe Mendez, who got a cup of coffee last year, will see some innings in the second half, but otherwise I don’t expect to see many prospects play for the Rangers this season.

Sleeper: Last year, I said that if Morgan went behind the plate, he would be a top 100 guy this winter. He’s still an infielder, but the possibility of a position switch remains, as does my prediction. I also think Michael De Leon has substantial upside if the Rangers can just provide him swing mechanics he can repeat.

The fallen: The Rangers took Dillon Tate with the fourth overall pick in 2015, cleaned up his delivery, improved his changeup and dumped him on the Yankees for two months of Carlos Beltran last July, after Tate lost his fastball and suddenly looked like a middle reliever at best.