ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers have a new top pitching prospect.
Right-handed pitcher Jose Corniell is the top-ranked pitcher and third-ranked prospect overall in MLB Pipeline’s updated organizational ranking. Shortstop Sebastian Walcott remains the club’s top overall prospect while shortstop Gavin Fien, the team’s first-round pick in July’s MLB Draft, is ranked directly behind him.
Corniell, 22, returned to the mound in July after year-long Tommy John surgery rehab. He made his Double-A Frisco debut on July 19 and has yet to allow a run in his first four starts with the team.
The Rangers acquired Corniell from the Seattle Mariners five years ago in exchange for relief pitcher Rafael Montero. He was the club’s minor league pitcher of the year two seasons ago after he broke out with a 2.92 ERA in 101 2/3 innings split between High-A and Low-A.
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He’s one of five pitchers ranked among the club’s top eight prospects. The others are right-handers Winston Santos (No. 4), AJ Russell (No. 5), Alejandro Rosario (No. 6), David Davalillo (No. 7) and Caden Scarborough (No. 8). Santos has been sidelined since April with a stress reaction in his back, Russell was the club’s second-round pick in July’s MLB draft and Rosario has yet to pitch this season as he awaits elbow surgery.
Texas Rangers minor league pitcher David Davalillo throws live batting practice during a spring training workout at the team’s training facility on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, in Surprise, Ariz.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
Davalillo and Scarborough have been breakout stars this year. Davalillo, a 22-year-old from Venezuela, was signed to a minor league contract three years ago and has a 2.07 ERA in 82 2/3 innings this year. He has a 1.99 ERA in seven games since he was promoted to Double-A Frisco.
Scarborough, 20, has been one of the organization’s fastest risers and most impressive arms. The Rangers selected him in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB draft out of Harmony High (Fla.) and signed him to an over-slot $515,000 bonus. The 6-foot-5 right-hander, whose body bears resemblance to Jacob deGrom, added more than 30 pounds of muscle to his frame after the Rangers drafted him and can now run his fastball in the upper 90’s with plus extension to boot.
He has a 3.09 ERA in 70 innings pitched this season at Single-A Hickory. He has a 0.92 ERA in six starts since June 29 with more than six times as many strikeouts (32) as walks (5) in that span.
Catcher Malcolm Moore — the team’s first-round pick out of Stanford in last year’s MLB draft — was a noticeable faller. Moore, the club’s consensus second-best position player prospect to start this season, dropped from No. 2 to No. 11 after MLB Pipeline’s update.
Moore, 22, has slashed just .196/.305/.304 in 40 games largely spent at High-A Hub City this season. The Rangers believe that Moore, who broke his finger earlier this season and missed nearly two months, is still shaking off the rust of both the fracture and the time spent on the injured list. He had an .830 OPS in nine games played this year before the injury.
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