The Texas Rangers have one of the best farm systems in baseball, and finding time to get all of their prospects on the field is a challenge. It’s a good problem to have, of course, and they went into this year’s First-Year Player Draft with the mindset of taking high-ceiling players with good character and makeup.
They feel like the accomplished that with the 43 players they selected over the three-day event. Now, it’s time to sign them and get them on the field. A typical year would have the major-league team sign approximately 20-25 of their draftees.
About spreading playing time amongst their prospects, Rangers senior director of player personnel A.J. Preller said: “At the end of the day, it’s a positive problem for us to have. We look at it as the better players we put on the field, it raises the level of the other individuals. Just raising the talent level raises the expectation level.”
The Rangers had five of the first 93 picks, and went with high school players that project to be impact players at the major-league level one day. They then had a steady mix of college and junior college players and capped off Day 2 by drafting two college football recruits who have upside in professional baseball.
Day 3 saw the Rangers continue to stockpile arms in their system. From rounds 18-24, they drafted seven consecutive pitchers – six right-handers and one left-hander.
At the end of the draft, the Rangers found themselves with 26 pitchers (18 right-handers, eight left-handers); nine outfielders; five infielders; and three catchers. They took 25 college and 18 high school players.
Rangers draft picks
Round=Overall Pick=Player=Position=School
1=29=Lewis Brinson=OF=Coral Springs [Fla.] High School
Comp=39=Joey Gallo=3B=Bishop Gorman High School [Nev.]
Comp=53=Collin Wiles=RHP=Blue Valley West High School [Kan.]
2=83=Jamie Jarmon=OF=Indian River High School [Del.]
2=93=Nick Williams=OF=Galveston Ball High School [Texas]
3=123=Patrick Cantwell=C=SUNY-Stony Brook [N.Y.]
4=156=Alec Asher=RHP=Polk State College [Fla.]
5=186=Preston Beck=OF=UT-Arlington
6=216=Royce Bolinger=OF=Gonzaga
7=246=Cameron Schiller=2B=Oral Roberts
8=276=Cody Kendall=RHP=Fresno State
9=306=John Niggli=RHP=Liberty University
10=336=Casey Shiver=RHP=Southern Polytechnic State [Ga.]
11=366=Eric Brooks=RHP=McLennan Community College
12=396=Keone Kela=RHP=Everett Community College [Wash.]
13=426=Sam Stafford=LHP=University of Texas
14=456=Kwinton Smith=OF=Dillon High School [S.C.]
15=486=Jameis Winston=OF=Hueytown High School [Ala.]
16=516=Janluis Castro=2B=Colegio Hector Urdaneta [Puerto Rico]
17=546=Charles Moorman=C=El Capitan High School [Calif.]
18=576=Ryan Harvey=RHP=Seton Hall
19=606=James Smith=RHP=University of South Carolina – Sumter
20=636=Joshua McElwee=RHP=Newberry College
21=666=Jacob Lemoine=RHP=Bridge City [Texas] High School
22=696=Travis Dean=RHP=Kennesaw State
23=726=Coby Cowgill=RHP=Virginia Military Institute
24=756=Chase Mullins=LHP=Bourbon County High School [Ky.]
25=786=Gabriel Roa=SS=Wabash Valley College [Ill.]
26=816=Austen Thrailkill=LHP=St. Petersburg College
27=846=Ryan Bores=RHP=Kent State
28=876=Joseph Burns=LHP=Samford University
29=906=Brandon Kuter=RHP=George Mason University
30=936=Barrett Serrato=OF=Purdue
31=966=Zachary Brill=LHP=Mark Morris High School [Wash.]
32=996=Alex Young=LHP=Carmel High School [Ill.]
33=1026=Ryan Burr=RHP=Highlands Ranch High School [Colo.]
34=1056=David Lyon=C=Kent State
35=1086=Brad Stone=LHP=Ardrey Kell High School [N.C.]
36=1116=Sterling Wynn=LHP=China Springs [Texas] High School
37=1146=Matt Withrow=RHP=Midland [Texas] Christian High School
38=1176=Zackary Fields=1B=Annapolis High School [Mich.]
39=1206=Tevin Johnson=OF=Henry County High School [Ga.]
40=1236=Paul Schwindel=RHP=Emory University [Ga.]
Local players taken in draft
Round=Overall Pick=Team=Player=Position=School
2=75=New York Mets=Teddy Stankiewicz=RHP=Fort Worth Christian
4=153=Arizona Diamondbacks=Chuck Taylor=OF=Mansfield Timberview
5=169=Oakland Athletics=Max Muncy=1B=Baylor (Keller High School)
5=176=Los Angeles Dodgers=Ross Stripling=RHP=Texas A&M (Southlake Carroll)
5=186=Texas Rangers=Preston Beck=OF=UT-Arlington
6=209=Atlanta Braves=Josh Elander=C=TCU
7=248=Philadelphia Phillies=Hoby Milner=LHP=Texas (Fort Worth Paschal)
13=408=Colorado Rockies=Kyle Von Tungeln=OF=TCU
14=438=Colorado Rockies=Shane Broyles=RHP=Texas Tech (Burleson)
20=633=Arizona Diamondbacks=Jacob House=1B=Texas A&M (Mansfield Timberview)
21=655=Toronto Blue Jays=Colton Turner=LHP=Texas State (Joshua)
22=680=New York Mets=Tejay Antone=RHP=Mansfield Legacy
23=703=Kansas City Royals=Kevin Allen=RHP=TCU
25=773=Chicago Cubs=Cameron Cox=RHP=Weatherford College
27=845=Milwaukee Brewers=Tyler Duffie=RHP=TCU
29=889=Oakland Athletics=Taylor Massey=LHP=Dallas Baptist (Weatherford)
29=891=Chicago White Sox=Jason Coats=OF=TCU
32=983=Chicago Cubs=Paul Hendrix=SS=Howard College (Birdville)
33=1000=Minnesota Twins=Kaleb Merck=RHP=TCU
35=1074=Washington Nationals=Cory Bafidis=LHP=Texas Wesleyan
39=1192=Cincinnati Reds=Jacob Stone=RHP=Weatherford College
40=1222=Cincinnati Reds=Rafael Pineda=RHP=Texas A&M (Crowley High School)
-- Drew Davison
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