Considering that Sebastian Walcott was a late addition to the Arizona Fall League, the Texas Rangers No. 1 prospect accomplished everything the franchise was hoping for.

Regular season play wrapped up on Wednesday and Walcott ended up with some of the best overall numbers of any Rangers prospect in the AFL. He finished with a slash of .303/.351/.455 with one home run and 21 RBI.

Along the way, Walcott got back in the field and played shortstop. He also began cross training in the outfield, suddenly the Rangers hope will accelerate his ability to reach the Majors when he's ready. He, along with several other Rangers prospects, were selected to the Fall Stars Game last weekend.

Now the big question — when will Walcott get his shot? Because Texas won't be able to justify keeping him in the minor leagues at this rate.

Sebastian Walcott’s Next Step

With Major League Baseball and the Players Association careening toward a potential work stoppage in December, the good news for the Rangers is that it won't impact Walcott’s progress as a prospect.

While the collective bargaining agreement at the Major League level expires on Dec. 1, the CBA from minor league players doesn't expire until after the 2027 season. Any player not on a 40-man roster and in a minor league system will start their season on time.

That means Walcott should head to minor league spring training in February and then to Triple-A Round Rock to begin his fourth professional season. Given how he performed at Double-A Frisco after he returned from internal brace surgery, there's no reason to send him back to the RoughRiders.

He slashed .325/.401/.590 with 10 home runs and 21 RBI in 41 games with the ACL Rangers, Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock. He was cleared to play shortstop at the end of the regular season and began playing in the field during Frisco’s Texas League playoff run. 

The only significant question the Rangers face now is whether to send Walcott to another winter league to let him continue playing? There are winter leagues that Walcott could play in to continue to accumulate the at-bats he lost while he was on the injured list.

The Rangers will have to weigh the value of those at bats with his progress. Considering how he performed in the AFL, Texas may feel comfortable allowing him to head to the offseason and get some rest.

Texas knows he's coming. It's only a matter of time before he gets to Arlington. The Rangers won't want to take any chances.