How Sebastian Walcott’s Latest Position Change Could Shake up Rangers

Sebastian Walcott is one of the game’s top prospects. It’s clear he’s getting closer to helping the Texas Rangers at the Major League level.

The problem is there are veterans standing in his way. He’s a shortstop. The Rangers have Corey Seager under a contract for the next five seasons. He’s also played third base. Josh Jung is under team control for at least the next two seasons.

Sure, the Rangers could make moves to clear a path. But the face is he only has two games at Triple-A Round Rock to his credit. He’ll need more time in the minors in 2027 as baseball works out its labor issues.

But when he’s ready, does he have to be a shortstop? Maybe not.

Sebastian Walcott’s Key Position Change

Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) made the trip to the AFL last week to check out Walcott and speak to the 20-year-old. The Rangers intending to only have him play three times a week. But Grant reported that Texas is planning to ramp up his playing time a bit.

But here’s the real nugget that could impact the Major League roster — Walcott is getting reps in the outfield. Right now, it sounds like he’s just getting practice reps, so it’s unclear if he’ll play out there in an AFL game. But getting him reps at a position he’s never played is notable for a couple of reasons.

First, there’s a decent chance Walcott could be ready for the Majors sometime next season. If he’s ready, Texas needs a place to put him. Assuming Seager and Jung are still on the roster — which is likely — then his two positions won’t be open. The only way to get him there would be due to injury, a scenario the Rangers don’t want. Walcott has been a designated hitter in the minors, but younger players tend to struggle in a DH-only scenario.

So, Texas needs somewhere to put him. That’s why outfield is an important point to explore.

The Rangers have a center field issue. While Evan Carter is a Gold Glove finalist at the position, he played 141 games in 2026 and batted under .200. He remains a liability hitting against left-handed pitching and with more than 700 MLB at-bats, it’s fair to think about whether that’s the player he is.

Texas has Ezequiel Duran as their super-utility player but assuming Nicky Lopez isn’t re-signed, Duran figures to be the starting second baseman. That’s important because Duran did some time at center field for the first time this season.

This scenario isn’t about moving Walcott to center field. It might be more about moving him and Carter into a platoon in left field and moving Wyatt Langford to center field. It would allow Carter and Walcott to compete for the starting job in 2028 — and beyond.

It’s a creative way to pave a path for Walcott, who is on the doorstep of the Majors.