Ranking the Texas Rangers' Most MLB-Ready Prospects for Next Season

The Texas Rangers have been on a tear over the past couple of weeks, winning 11 of their last 12 games and avoiding their first 100-loss season in 41 years.

The club still holds the second-worst record in the majors (65-93), so it isn’t exactly something to rave about. Texas possesses MLB’s worst run differential (minus-130) and hasn’t lost this many games since posting 99 losses in 1985.

However, the way the Rangers have come around since Sept. 12 is something for the organization and the fans to be excited about. They have been getting a good look at some of the young talent the ballclub has. In fact, as Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News posted on his Twitter account, Texas is throwing all of its youngsters out on the diamond.

There are some who have yet to make their debuts but very well could next season. The club still has some holes to fill this offseason, and the following prospects may be able to do just that.

3. RHP Keone Kela

One area in need of supply is the Rangers’ bullpen, and Keone Kela is showing he belongs there.

The 21-year-old spent most of his time at Double-A Frisco but did start the season with High-A Myrtle Beach. He finished 2014 with a combined 2.02 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and a .176 opponents’ batting average in 44 games. He also struck out 68 batters in only 49 innings.

Kela did walk a whopping 27 batters in 38.2 innings in Frisco, so his command still needs work. However, he finished the season with only nine walks in 20 innings, showing some improvement down the stretch.

Here is what his MLB.com scouting profile says about his work: "Kela backs up his fastball with a hard slider and even shows some feel for a changeup. He still needs to improve his control and command, though he does a good job of keeping the ball down in the strike zone."

The club traded Joakim Soria and Jason Frasor, and it doesn’t look like Neal Cotts will be returning. Kela gives Texas a late-inning, in-house option in a rather thin free-agent market.

2. RHP Jake Thompson

Jake Thompson was acquired in the trade that sent Joakim Soria to the Detroit Tigers, giving the Rangers much-needed young talent in the rotation.

He finished the season with a combined 10-5 record over 25 games in three different leagues, seven of which came in the Texas League with Frisco. The 20-year-old struck out 130 hitters over 129.2 innings and posted a combined 3.12 ERA.

MLB.com believes he could end up toward the front of the rotation: "At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, Thompson has the build to be a durable starter, and he also possesses the stuff to pitch near the front of a rotation. His delivery can get out of sync at times, but that's typical for a young pitcher and he should develop reasonable command down the road."

The returns of Martin Perez and Matt Harrison are still up in the air, potentially allowing Thompson to fight for a spot next season. The poor performances of Nick Tepesch and Nick Martinez also bode well for the Texas native.

1. RHP Alex Gonzalez

Alex Gonzalez has been flying through the farm system at a rapid rate, succeeding in each league he has pitched in.

The Oral Roberts University product pitched in High-A and Double-A this season, posting a combined 2.66 ERA in 138.2 innings. Opponents hit just .238 off of Gonzalez and managed to score only 41 times in his 26 appearances.

Here is some of what MLB.com has to say about his pitching capabilities: "Gonzalez can give hitters fits with two different pitches. He commands his fastball to both sides of the plate with cut and sink, usually operating around 90-94 mph. His mid-80s slider was one of the best available in the 2013 Draft."

Like Thompson, Gonzalez has a substantial shot at earning a spot in next year’s rotation with Yu Darvish and Derek Holland looking like the only locks for a spot. He has a large arsenal of pitches, gets the ball over the plate and can get hitters out in a number of ways.

Gonzalez has arguably the highest upside of any starting pitching prospect in the organization. Expect him to get a good look during spring training in March.

All stats and scouting profiles courtesy of MLB.com's Prospect Pipeline.

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren