It's no secret that the Texas Rangers boast a strong farm system, and that it's still one of the best farm systems in all of baseball. The Rangers are sending eight prospects to the Arizona Fall League this year, and perhaps no prospect is more notable among them than shortstop Luis Sardinas.
Sardinas spent the entire 2012 season in the South Atlantic League, and he put up very respectable numbers as a 19 year old. Sardinas hit .291/.346/.356 in 374 at bats, while walking just 29 times, but only striking out 52 times. Sardinas was an asset on the bases as well, stealing 32 bags while only being caught nine times.
The Rangers signed Sardinas in 2009, around the same exact time the club inked now-uber prospect Jurickson Profar. Needless to say, Profar's rise has certainly overshadowed Sardinas' play, but that's not to say Sardinas isn't an intriguing prospect -- he most certainly is.
How Sardinas fares this year in the Arizona Fall League isn't of too much consequence. Sure, the Rangers will get to evaluate him against other top prospects, but let's also remember that 2012 was Sardinas' first taste of full-season ball. Sardinas' previous career high in professional games played was 26 in 2010, in the AZL.
Still, Sardinas could very well put himself on the map in 2013 as one of the best shortstop prospects in baseball. He's a plus defender, and if he hits just enough, he'll be a very, very hot prospect. With Elvis Andrus and Profar already blocking him, it wouldn't shock me if Sardinas is used in a package this winter, if the Rangers try to go after a superstar player, such as David Price or Justin Upton.