Andy Ibanez has always been regarded as one of the Rangers’ top offensive infielders, but will he be given a chance in Arlington this season?
Andy Ibanez was previously considered a high prospect in the Texas Rangers organization, but he has yet to make the major league roster.
Ibanez began his professional career as a teenager with the Cuban national team, according to Baseball Reference, and he raked.
Ibanez hit .480/.606/.760 with 12 runs and 7 RBI in 7 first-round games in the 2009 World Youth Championship.
In 2011-12, he made his first appearance in the Cuban Serie Nacional, hitting.278/.309/.383 with 18 doubles for Isla de la Juventud.
Ibanez also won a Gold Glove at second base with a.992 fielding percentage and was chosen to play for Cuba in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Ibanez was signed for $1.6 million by the Texas Rangers, and he did not disappoint in his first professional appearance.
He quickly progressed through the Rangers’ farm system and finished the 2016 season as the fourth greatest second base prospect in baseball, just behind Willie Calhoun.
The Havana, Cuba native has quickly progressed through the minors as a second baseman, although he has also played third base (157 games) and shortstop (26).
Any major league team would be interested in his defensive versatility alone.
He’s not only flexible on the field, but he’s also a capable defender.
Ibanez has a .285 batting average with a.794 OPS in four minor league seasons.
He has just under 500 hits in his minor league career, with 53 home runs and 215 RBIs.
Of course, if there had been a minor league season in 2020, those numbers would have skyrocketed.
His greatest season came with Triple-A Nashville in 2019, when he hit.300 with 20 home runs and 65 RBIs. With the Sounds that year, he also had a .871 OPS.
How Tall Is Andy Ibáñez?
Andy Ibáñez’s height is 1.85 m.