Friday on the Farm: If top first baseman in Texas Rangers system moves to left field, this player climbs to No. 1

Dustin Harris will be giving the outfield a try in 2022, opening the door hitting machine Blaine Crim.

Blaine Crim had an impressive 2021 season at two levels, beginning with High A Hickory, and has been of the top hitters in the Puerto Rican Winter League (Hickory Crawdads/Ashley Salinas).

Dustin Harris was selected as the Texas Rangers’ Minor League Player of the Year in September after a breakthrough 2021 campaign in which he batted .327 with 20 home runs across two A-ball levels.

Of all the players in the minor leagues, and there are thousands of them, Harris was the only one to hit .300 with 20 doubles, 20 homers and 20 steals.

The only one.

He did most of his damage as a first baseman, though he played some at third base as well. He is the Rangers’ top-rated first baseman, a position that the club admits is thin on depth.

Yet, the plan for 2022 is for Harris to play mostly left field, leaving first base even thinner. Oh, and Curtis Terry has signed with the Minnesota Twins.

Now, first base is as thin as a marathon runner.

But that’s not to say there isn’t a talented hitter ready to assume the No. 1 spot should Harris vacate it. There is, and all he has done since turning pro is hit.