Though Bubba Thompson may have the highest ceiling of any player in the Rangers' system, he made little progress toward reaching it this season.

Thompson fractured the hamate bone in his left hand in mid-April, costing him two months, then lost three more weeks in the midseason to an ankle injury. He never really got into a groove at the plate and batted just .178/.261/.312 with five homers and 12 steals in 57 games at Class A Advanced.

The Arizona Fall League allows players to make up for lost time and to put disappointing seasons behind them. Thompson said he was happy to get that chance as a member of the Surprise Saguaros.

"I was excited to come out here and have the opportunity to play with the best guys and show that I've got the same skills," said Thompson, ranked No. 8 on MLB Pipeline's Rangers Top 30 Prospects list. "I was frustrated and couldn't really find a rhythm to get going. Hopefully, coming here I'll find what I need to find and work on the stuff I need to work on and keep the train moving."

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There's no doubt about Thompson's physical ability. A first-round pick (26th overall) in 2017 out of McGill-Toolen High (Mobile, Ala.), he's a well above-average runner with solid raw power and arm strength. He's still working on his pitch recognition and plate discipline, and he acknowledges that one of his main goals in the AFL is to develop a more consistent approach.

Thompson is just 21 years old and has the upside of a 25-25 center fielder, though he needs at-bats after getting just 647 in his first 2 1/2 Minor League seasons. He had less experience than most first-round picks when he turned pro because he split his time between baseball and football.

As a senior in the fall of 2016, Thompson totaled 3,860 yards and 43 touchdowns while playing quarterback at McGill-Toolen, leading his team to the Alabama 7-A state championship game. He was recruited by Southeastern Conference football programs before accepting a baseball scholarship from Alabama and ultimately signing with the Rangers. He said he misses football, but he's fully committed to baseball.

"I'm a competitor, and when football comes around, I want to be on the field playing football," Thompson said, "but I also chose this and want to do it to my best ability and give it all I got."

Rangers hitters in the Fall League
Jax Biggers, 2B/OF/SS: A gamer who gets the most out of his modest tools, Biggers helped the University of Arkansas reach the College World Series finals in 2018, the same year the Rangers made him an eighth-round Draft pick. He batted .282/.369/.353 with 12 steals in 76 Class A games during his first full pro season.

Matt Whatley, C: Whatley has stood out more with his solid defense than his bat since signing as a third-round selection from Oral Roberts in the 2017 Draft. He threw out 37 percent of basestealers and hit .234/.349/.321 with 29 steals in 117 Class A games this year.

Rangers pitchers in the Fall League
Josh Advocate, RHP: Taken in the 20th round out of Long Beach State in the 2017 Draft, Advocate saw his fastball jump to 92-96 mph this year and backs it up with a high-spin curveball. He had a 2.64 ERA, .212 opponent batting average and 77 strikeouts in 75 high Class A innings this season.

Noah Bremer, RHP: Bremer makes the most of an average three-pitch mix by locating his offerings well. The 2017 Draft sixth-rounder out of Washington posted a 2.97 ERA, .204 opponent batting average and 68 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings over 14 Class A Advanced starts this year.

Nick Snyder, RHP: A shortstop known for his strong arm at Indian River (Fla.) CC, Snyder became a full-time pitcher after the Rangers selected him in the 19th round of the 2017 Draft. His fastball hit 99 mph this year while he recorded a 3.06 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 53 Class A innings.

Cole Uvila, RHP: Uvila was 24-year-old fifth-year senior when he signed for $1,000 out of Georgia Gwinnett in the 40th and final round of the 2018 Draft. Now, he looks like a steal with a mid-90s fastball with late finish and a power curveball. In his first full pro season, he logged a 2.23 ERA, .160 opponent batting average and 95 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings between Class A and Class A Advanced.