Sebastian Walcott’s 2026 season is only seven games old. The 20-year-old shortstop, who finds himself as the #10 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB.com (#21 by Baseball America), had surgery in February to repair a right elbow UCL tear that he initiall suffered in fall league.

Walcott returned to action of July 14th with a pair of rehab games with the ACL Rangers, where he went 3-6 with a homer, a double and a stolen base. Then he returned to the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders where, to-date (July 24), he has gone 6-20 with a homer two doubles, two RBIs and three walks.

It’s a VERY small sample size, but it’s good to see that Walcott hasn’t lost his swing after five months with injury. He hasn’t returned to playing the field just yet, as the Rangers are easing him back in by having him start off at DH (take notes, Phillies), but at least his bat already looks to be in midseason form.

We’ll have to see what happens when he does return to the field however, as he’s a bit of a question mark defensively. As I stated in my initial prospect spotlight of Walcott, he did commit an eye-popping 24 errors in 2025. He does have a strong arm, so the outfield is a possibility, as is remaining at DH. Walcott’s tremendous raw power, especially for someone of his age and size, is his greatest asset, so making him a full-time hitter is a realistic projection. Besides, shortstop and third, the only two positions he’s played professionally are currently occupied at the big league level by Corey Seager and Josh Jung, who are both considered plus defenders.

I know that Seager’s future with the Rangers is a bit of a question mark, given his age and injury history, but with Walcott’s MLB ETA estimated as 2027, some decisions will have to be made.