No. 28 prospect Davalillo getting closer to Rangers' MLB stage

This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers opened the 2025 season with many of their exciting young players already in the big leagues.

That included names like Evan Carter (22 years old) and Wyatt Langford (23) -- both of whom graduated from prospect status last season -- but also rookie pitchers Jack Leiter (25) and Kumar Rocker (25), who have since graduated.

Texas’ farm system isn’t highly rated externally, mostly due to the swift big league promotion of so many top prospects. But a pair of pitching prospects have put themselves onto the radar this season.

Right-hander David Davalillo -- the Rangers' No. 28 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- was recently promoted from High-A Hub City to Double-A Frisco and will make his debut on Friday at San Antonio.

While not highly regarded outside the organization until recently, he raised his profile significantly by leading the Minors with a 1.88 ERA between Single-A Hickory and Hub City in 2024.

This season, Davalillo has a 2.12 ERA in 11 starts in High-A with opponents slashing .170/.231/.253/.484 against him. At the time of his promotion, he led South Atlantic League qualifiers in ERA (2.12), WHIP (0.82), opponent average (.170) and ranks among SAL best in opponent OPS (2nd, .484) and strikeouts (T6th, 68).

“He keeps getting better and better, which is encouraging,” said general manager Ross Fenstermaker. “His performance up to this point has merited an opportunity at a higher level. I think he's ready for it. Our hope and intent is that he continues to build upon some of the success that he continues inching closer and closer to being a Major League option for us down the line.”

Davalillo comes from a baseball family. Both his grandfather Pompeyo and great-uncle Vic played in the Majors. His father, David, reached Double-A and continued to work in baseball as a manager and scout. His younger brother, Gabriel, signed with the Angels for $2 million in January.

David Davalillo, on the other hand, signed with the Mets for $30,000 in January 2021. The deal was voided two months later and he ultimately signed with the Rangers for $10,000 in June 2022.

MLB Pipeline report: “Davalillo’s low-80s splitter generated a 58% swing-and-miss rate last year and is the lone pitch in his arsenal that grades as better than average. His fastball sits in the low 90s and maxes out at 96 mph, and he’ll ride four-seamers up at the letters and sink two-seamers down at the knees. He has some feel for spinning the ball with his sweeping 78-82 mph slider more effective than his mid-70s curveball, but both could use more power.

“Though Davalillo doesn’t have the smoothest delivery, he repeats it well. He throws strikes with his entire repertoire, commands his fastball well and sequences his pitches well. He has some of the system’s best feel for pitching, giving him a chance to succeed as a back-of-the-rotation starter.”

Left-hander Mason Molina -- who recently entered the Rangers’ Top 30 at No. 30 with the graduation of Rocker -- is going to be promoted from Single-A Hickory to High-A Hub City.

Molina, who was acquired from the Brewers for Grant Anderson this winter, posted a 3.86 ERA and a Carolina League-leading 62 strikeouts in 11 games for Hickory. He will make his High-A debut in a start on Saturday at Bowling Green.

“I think we were pleasantly surprised that we could get Mason in that type of deal,” Fenstermaker said. “He's somebody that we followed since high school, and his career arc and trajectory through multiple colleges. We were pretty excited when we got him, a deceptive lefty with a good pitch mix. The results speak for themselves.”

MLB Pipeline report: “Molina's fastball sits at just 90-91 mph and tops out at 95, it's effective because it rides past bats at the top of the strike zone. His best pitch is a plus low-80s changeup that sinks and helps his heater work better. He employs two distinct breaking balls with depth and does a better job of landing his low-80s slider than his mid-70s curveball for strikes.”