By Jonas Fortune
Round Rock Express Blogger
What should Texas Rangers fans make of Ryan Rua?
The 24-year-old has been making plenty of offensive noise at Double-A Frisco, surpassing the organization’s top prospect, Rougned Odor, in nearly every offensive category so far this season.
That’s not to say that Rua should be considered a better player at this point. The 20-year-old Odor has produced at every level. Odor ranks No.42 in the Baseball America preseason top 100 and as the Rangers No.1 prospect.
Odor has a family pedigree in baseball as his uncle, Rouglas Odor, is hitting coach in the Cleveland Indians organization. Rua is the first and only MLB draft pick to come out of Lake Erie College.
Yet, Rua is closing the gap.
The right-handed hitting Rua is currently leading the Texas League in home runs (6), second in slugging (.611) and third in average (.344), and could very well be pushing his way to Round Rock if he keeps it up. In 90 at bats this year Rua has struck out 19 while walking 14 times, helping him to an on-base percentage of .438.
His versatility will help him as well. Rua is a second baseman, who was previously moved to third base in order to not block Odor. Time at second, third, corner outfield and first base is not out of the question.
It is his bat that will get him onto a major league roster.
Rua playing well certainly gives the Rangers organization options although, not many of them see Odor or Rua playing in Texas. Not with 25-year-old Elvis Andrus locked in at shortstop and the currently injured Jurickson Profar etched in to second. Profar is 21 years old.
He is another guy to keep an eye on at the trade deadline.
