Texas Rangers’ top prospect Sebastian Walcott is expected to miss most — if not all — of the 2026 season after suffering a tear in his right UCL. The 19-year-old shortstop ranked No. 16 on Keith Law’s recently released top 100 MLB prospects list.
Rangers general manager Chris Young told reporters about Walcott’s injury in Arizona on Thursday morning. Walcott is expected to have surgery to repair the tear in the next few days. As a position player, Walcott’s projected return from Tommy John surgery is shorter than it would be for a pitcher. Pitchers generally take 12-18 months to recover from the surgery, while position players can often return at least to DHing nine-to-10 months from the surgery.
For some context, New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Domínguez had Tommy John surgery on his left (throwing) elbow on Sept. 20, 2023. He began a minor-league rehab stint in May 2024, though he didn’t play in the outfield until a few weeks into the rehab stint.
Though Walcott wasn’t expected to compete for an Opening Day spot on the Rangers’ roster, there was still an outside chance that he would debut sometime during the 2026 season, as he spent all of last season in Double A. At 19 years old, Walcott was the youngest player in the Double-A Texas League for much of last season and the youngest player under the age of 20 to begin last season above the A-ball level.
Walcott struggled at times in 2025, reaching base at a good clip (.355 OBP) but hitting only .255 with a .386 SLG and 13 home runs in 124 games. Walcott reached 115 mph with his top exit velocity, demonstrating his power potential, but he also appeared to sacrifice some of his power in exchange for making contact against pitchers often five years his senior. Despite the lack of in-game power, Walcott’s 2025 season was an overall impressive performance for a teenager in an upper-level league.
Walcott signed with the Rangers on Jan. 15, 2023 out of the Bahamas for a $3.2 million bonus. He quickly became one of the top prospects in baseball, competing against older players at every level. A dynamic athlete with a strong understanding of the strike zone, Walcott offers power and speed, having reached double digits in both homers and stolen bases the last two seasons. Even before the injury, there was speculation that Walcott may move from shortstop to third base or the outfield eventually because of his 6-foot-4 frame. The elbow injury may hasten that move.
Regardless, he still projects to be an above-average hitter at any position and a potential All-Star.
Given Walcott’s age, a missed season shouldn’t dramatically impact his future projection as a player, but it is still a tough blow for a Rangers’ farm system that came in 26th in Law’s most recent rankings. The Rangers recently traded another top shortstop prospect — 2025 first-round pick Gavin Fien — in a deal with the Washington Nationals that netted them MacKenzie Gore. Texas also traded three other well-regarded prospects in the deal and have seen their farm system thin out in recent years thanks to trades for players to help the big-league team.