Friday on the Farm: Promotions are coming. Here are the top candidates to get a bump

(Frisco RoughRiders)

Two months into the minor-league season means it’s officially promotion season, the best time of the baseball year for big-league hopefuls.

Good news and new travel itineraries will soon be handed to a small group of players who have already earned a bump to the next level.

Some were expected. Some weren’t.

The initial hope was some others would have earned a promotion, but they still have more work to do before they get a chance against a higher level of competition.

A group of prospects at High A Hickory, for instance, needs to show a little more before they will be considered as candidates for a promotion. Right-handed starter Mason Englert and righty reliever Marc Church are in that group, and outfielder Aaron Zavala probably is, too.

The Rangers aren’t sure if Evan Carter, who has surged into the Baseball America Top 100 at No. 62, will get a bump this season. He doens’t turn 20 until Aug. 28.

For now, though, here some of the players under consideration. It is not a definitive list, but it is pretty close.

They might not all be promoted, but they have put themselves in position for a call into the manager’s office.