Rafe Perich is among the prospects who could help the Texas Rangers build toward the future.

The 24-year-old third baseman entered 2026 as the Rangers’ No. 19 prospect but significantly improved his standing within the organization with a breakout offensive campaign.

His production across High-A Hub City and Double-A Frisco earned him the Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year award and gave the Rangers another hitter to follow as he advances through the system.

Perich still has work ahead before he can establish himself as a major-league option. However, his ability to produce after a promotion to Double-A makes his next steps particularly important as Texas evaluates its future position-player depth.

Perich’s 2026 season provided evidence that his offensive development could translate against more advanced competition.

After beginning the year with Hub City, where he hit .303 with 11 home runs in 38 games, Perich earned a promotion to Frisco on May 29. Rather than experiencing a significant drop in production, he continued to perform at a high level against Double-A pitching.

In 78 games with the RoughRiders, Perich batted .321 with 16 home runs, 27 doubles, and 58 RBIs. His .405 on-base percentage and .576 slugging percentage resulted in a .981 OPS.

His performance across both levels was even more impressive. Perich finished with a .315 batting average, a .401 on-base percentage and a .586 slugging percentage in 116 games. He totaled 27 home runs, 31 doubles and 92 RBIs, leading the Rangers’ Minor League system in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS among qualified hitters.

The switch-hitter’s ability to maintain his production following his promotion gives Texas reason to remain encouraged about his development. Continued success against increasingly difficult competition will be an important part of determining how high his potential ceiling might be.

Perich’s emergence is notable because he was not a highly touted amateur prospect when Texas selected him in the seventh round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Lehigh University. After a challenging start to his professional career, he has put together a season that has changed the conversation surrounding his future.

His next challenge will be showing that the improvements he made in 2026 can carry into another season. Sustaining his offensive production, continuing to develop defensively at third base and advancing through the organization would strengthen his case as a potential future contributor.

Texas also must determine how its developing players fit into the long-term major-league roster. Perich’s performance does not guarantee a role in Arlington, but it gives the organization another option to evaluate as it considers its future infield depth.