The Texas Rangers secured several intriguing prospects in their 2025 international free agent class, with standout names such as Elorky Rodriguez and Seong-Jun Kim. However, one player who truly grabbed attention with his performance was Venezuelan infielder Santiago Almao.
Almao, now 17, signed with the Rangers in January and began his pro career in the Dominican Summer League (DSL). Over the course of 46 games, he looked remarkably polished for a first-year player.
In 189 plate appearances, Almao posted an impressive .309/.434/.441 slash line, resulting in an .875 OPS. Though listed at just 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds, and hitting only two home runs, he racked up 10 doubles, two triples, 14 stolen bases, and more walks than strikeouts — a rare trait for a teenage hitter.
He was among the most productive hitters in the entire Rangers farm system. Almao ranked in the top three across several key categories: walk rate, on-base percentage, weighted on-base average (wOBA), and weighted runs created plus (wRC+). He showcased his versatility by playing all over the infield — shortstop, second base, and third.
For fans of advanced metrics, Almao even surpassed top Rangers prospect Sebastian Walcott in Isolated Power (ISO) with a .132 mark. While he only homered twice, this number suggests untapped power potential, especially as he physically matures.
What really sets Almao apart is his exceptional plate discipline. He wasn’t overly aggressive at the plate — swinging at just 37.9% of pitches — and kept his first-pitch strike rate below 35%. He consistently got ahead in counts, making life difficult for opposing pitchers. Even during his toughest month offensively (July), he maintained a 1:1 walk-to-strikeout ratio, drawing nine of each.
Though Almao leaned toward a pull-heavy approach (47.5% pull rate), he made line-drive contact over 25% of the time and hit slightly more fly balls than grounders — signs of a maturing offensive profile.
Defensively, most of his innings came at second base, where he recorded 34 putouts, 50 assists, and nine errors. He added another 32 putouts and 40 assists while playing shortstop and third, committing two errors at each spot.
Almao won’t turn 18 until January 23, 2026. How he performs in his second professional season will be worth watching closely. If he adds strength to his frame, his power could take a notable step forward — making him one of the more exciting young prospects in the Rangers’ system.
