Sebastian Walcott spent most of the past two summers in a Frisco RoughRiders uniform. This fall, the Texas Rangers are teaching their top prospect a second position, and the work is happening before the first pitch rather than during the game.
Walcott, 20, has been taking pregame outfield instruction from Josh Bonifay, the Rangers' director of player development, during his stint with the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League, according to a report this week by The Dallas Morning News.
He has played only shortstop and third base as a professional, and he told the newspaper he had not played the outfield since he was about 7 or 8 years old. The organization's stated aim is to get him into at least one Fall League game on the grass before the league's schedule ends in mid-November.
General manager Ross Fenstermaker was careful about how far the experiment goes. He told The News that Walcott may be in the outfield during morning sessions but is still the shortstop once games begin.
Why a second position
The reasons are on the Rangers' depth chart. Corey Seager plays shortstop and Josh Jung spent 2026 as the everyday third baseman. Designated hitter could open with Joc Pederson headed to free agency, although MLB Trade Rumors suggested the club may be reluctant to park a 20-year-old there every day while his defense is still developing.
How the Rangers handle Seager's future is the larger question hanging over their winter, according to The News, and any answer there shapes where Walcott fits. Walcott, who is listed at 6 feet 4, said he felt confident about the move and described outfield play as a matter of athleticism: tracking balls down and catching them.
He added that he would play wherever the team needed him.
What the RoughRiders saw
RoughRiders crowds saw two different versions of Walcott. In 2025 he played 124 games for the Double-A RoughRiders as a teenager, batting .255 with a .355 on-base percentage, 13 home runs and 32 stolen bases, according to MLB's official statistics.
His 2026 season started late. Walcott injured his elbow early in major league spring training and had internal brace surgery in February to repair a torn ligament, according to The News. He did not play until mid-July.
Once back in Frisco, he hit .322 with a .398 on-base percentage and a .586 slugging percentage over 37 games, adding nine home runs, 20 RBIs and 11 steals, before a two-game stop at Triple-A Round Rock to end the year.
