Carter, Ragans among Rangers minor league award winners

Sep 30, 2022 - 9:18 PM

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The Texas Rangers have named the 2022 minor league award winners for their minor league system.

Evan Carter has been named the Tom Grieve Player of the Year. Carter, the team’s second round draft pick in 2020, spent most of the season with high-A Hickory before moving to AA Frisco late in the season. Between the two teams, Carter slashed .295/.397/.489 while playing center field and going 28 for 41 on stolen base attempts. Carter has been showing up on top 100 prospect lists as 2022 has progressed, and only turned 20 a month ago.

Cole Ragans has been named the Nolan Ryan Pitcher of the Year. Ragans went from being a great story in 2021, when he came back after missing three full seasons while recovery from Tommy John surgery, to re-establishing himself as a quality pitching prospect in 2022. Ragans, the Rangers’ first rounder in 2016, put up a 3.04 ERA in 18 games and 94.2 IP between Frisco and Round Rock this season before earning a promotion to the major leagues.

Chase Lee has been named the Reliever of the Year. Lee, the club’s sixth round draft pick in 2021 out of the University of Alabama, put up a 4.07 ERA in 55.1 IP in 51 games between Frisco and Round Rock.

Jonathan Ornelas was named the Defender of the Year. Ornelas, a third rounder in 2018, spent the year in Frisco, where he played mostly shorstop and third base, but also got some time in center field and at second base.

Thomas Saggese was named the True Ranger Award winner. This goes to the player who “represents the core values of the organization in a positive light both on and off the field.” Saggese, like Carter, spent most of the season with Hickory before getting a late promotion to Frisco. The 2020 5th rounder slashed .312/.361/.506 on the season.