The Rangers went all in on the buy-low model, one the Pirates have executed pretty well in recent drafts. Many of their top picks are coming off uneven springs for a variety of reasons, including injury and performance. Together, it's a high upside class where it feels like any player could be lightning in a bottle. They were another team focusing on size, with all twenty picks coming in at six feet or taller and 17/20 clocking in at 6'2" or taller. Interestingly, Texas went all out in the back half of the draft with several difficult signs, ultimately watching three picks (rounds 13, 14, and 16) walk away unsigned while five other late draft picks signed for above the allotted $150,000.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-12: SS Gavin Fien, Great Oak HS [CA]
Slot value: $5.75 million. Signing bonus: $4.8 million ($946,800 below slot value).
My rank: #17. MLB Pipeline: #22. Baseball America: #31.
Gavin Fien was going to continue the California to Texas migration wave either way, holding a commitment to the University of Texas in hand before he signed nearly a million dollars below slot value (just over the value of the #17 pick) with the Rangers a few hours north. He's a really interesting prospect that represented one of the more polarizing profiles in this year's draft. Fien put himself on the map with a massive showing on the summer showcase circuit in 2024 in which he hit absolutely everywhere he went, showing zero concern for the elite pitching he saw around the country. He graded out well on the eye test and even better metrically, grabbing a big fat A+ grade for teams that weigh performance heavily in their models for prep bats. However, when he took a step down in competition to face Southern California high school pitching back home in the spring of 2025, the results weren't quite the same as he seemed to play down to the competition. With pitchers scared to throw to him, his approach unraveled a bit as he chased a bit more often than scouts wanted to see or, on the flip side, could look surprised when he actually saw a strike every once in a while. That left evaluators in a bit of a tough spot, though optimists such as the Rangers understand that the pitching he'll see in the pros will much more closely resemble his showcase competition rather than high schoolers who wanted to nibble against arguably the best hitter in the state. Fien is a big, physical kid at a listed 6'3", 200 pounds, and he'll only get bigger. He works with a high handset and drops his hands into a tight right handed swing geared for hard line drives around the field, registering impressive exit velocities that could point to above average, even plus power in time. As stated, he tore through elite showcase pitching last summer and handled premium velocity with ease. While there are some minor questions about offspeed, most prep bats share the same questions. Fien has a chance to develop into an all-around force in the lineup that could hit 20-30 home runs per season with high on-base percentages at peak. He has shown well at third base, with an above average arm combined with relatively smooth glovework and average range to make it work at the hot corner. Given the prodigious bat, the fact that he should stick at third is a bonus.
2-52: RHP AJ Russell, Tennessee
Slot value: $1.85 million. Signing bonus: $2.6 million ($753,300 above slot value).
My rank: #42. MLB Pipeline: #70. Baseball America: #37.
AJ Russell gives the Rangers another arm with a really interesting profile, and he came at a pretty penny with a large over slot bonus that was between the values of the #37 and #38 picks. Russell pitched out of the Tennessee bullpen as a freshman in 2023 and was flatly untouchable, striking out nearly 45% of his opponents with a 0.89 ERA. Transitioning to the rotation in 2024, he blew out his arm after 14.1 innings and surgery was expected to keep him out for much of 2025 as well. He surprised evaluators by returning on February 25th, but didn't appear again for over a month and never completed four innings in the 2025 season as Tennessee handled him cautiously. While the durability is unproven, the arm talent is undeniable. Russell has an elite fastball, sitting in the mid 90's and touching 98 at peak with an outlier combination of riding action and a low release point. The unique fastball shape helps it eat all over the zone, exploding by hitters with a combination of velocity and deceptive shape that will absolutely play at the next level. Beyond that, he is still gaining consistency with his slider but his best can look plus with sweep across the plate, though at this point it probably grades closer to above average overall. His changeup has looked nasty at times, but it's even less consistent than the slider and he struggles to command it, limiting its effectiveness in games. Listed at 6'6", 225 pounds, the Nashville-area product is both presently physical and still projectable with a lanky frame. With an extended run of health and a little more added weight, he could be flirting with triple digits in short order. Combine that with his unicorn fastball, coming from a low three quarters slot and improving secondary stuff, and you have an extremely high upside arm. Russell shows average command that could improve to above average with more consistent health as well. Durability is of course key to his remaining in the rotation, as is continuing to find more consistency with his secondary stuff. In the bullpen, the fastball/slider combination could be untouchable. His youth is another bonus, having just turned 21 shortly before the draft. While there are many question marks in this profile, you can't teach Russell's fastball and that outlier trait earned him a top 40 bonus from the Rangers.
3-84: TWP Josh Owens, Providence HS [TN]
Slot value: $950,100. Signing bonus: $1.1 million ($149,900 above slot value).
My rank: #51. MLB Pipeline: #89. Baseball America: #77.
In 2020, the Rangers surprised the baseball world by drafting a little-known prep outfielder from remote Elizabethton, Tennessee in the second round. With Evan Carter starting to find his footing in the big leagues, the Rangers went back to the same part of Northeast Tennessee just fifteen miles down the road to grab Josh Owens out of Jonesborough, where he too was little known until late in his senior year as he exploded up draft boards. Listed at 6'3", 185 pounds, Owens has projection and tools to dream on and he started to realize his gains in 2025. He has always hit, helping scouts comfortably project him for solid on-base ability in pro baseball with solid bat to ball and approach. While he has been hit over power thus far in his young career, added strength to his tall frame and a smooth, explosive left handed swing has helped the power projections tick up and he could get to average in that regard in short order. There is a really good chance for a well-rounded hitter here, which only projects better when you consider his plus-plus speed that can change games on the bases. The speed has helped him at shortstop where his overall actions are closer to average, though it could make him a plus center fielder if the Rangers choose to let him loose out there. Owens is up to 94 on the mound as well and while that plus arm will most likely serve him on the left side of the infield or in the outfield, the Rangers want to see him pitch as well. He's a sidearmer with a low effort, natural delivery in which he just slings it to the plate. Should he stick on the mound, he'll be able to add velocity naturally without selling out and should work towards average command as well. Still, Owens is much more well known as a hitter and likely winds up in the batters box long term.
4-115: RHP Mason McConnaughey, Nebraska
Slot value: $661,100. Signing bonus: $495,825 ($165,275 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #386.
With a bit of a surprise pick, the Rangers went slightly under slot to grab Mason McConnaughey in what they see as a buy-low signing. McConnaughey began his career at Cloud County JC in Kansas, where he impressed local evaluators and transferred to Nebraska after one season. He was excellent as a sophomore in 2024 and impressed evaluators, this time of the draft variety, at fall practice with a shot to push himself into the top couple of rounds. Unfortunately, he fell victim to Tommy John surgery after just three starts, but the Rangers saw enough last fall to still pop him for nearly half a million dollars. The fastball sits low 90's and touches 95 with running action from a relatively low slot, while his above average slider darts under bats late and has a chance to be a game changer at the next level. McConnaughey shows a solid changeup, rounding a strong three pitch mix. Additionally, the 6'3" righty is plenty physical and pounds the strike zone with at least average command, giving him every chance to stick in the rotation as a back-end starting pitcher. Tommy John surgery is routine at this point and shouldn't cloud his future too much, so while he lacks the upside of a guy like AJ Russell, he seems like a safe bet major league starter that only fell due to injury.
5-146: LHP Ben Abeldt, Texas Christian
Slot value: $489,200. Signing bonus: $450,000 ($39,200 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #205. Baseball America: #291.
Continuing a theme, the Rangers took another injured low slot arm, this time from their own backyard. Ben Abeldt grew up in the far northern Dallas suburb of McKinney, where I used to coach Little League, where he attended McKinney Boyd High School before traveling fifty miles across the Metroplex to TCU. After a strong freshman season in the Horned Frogs bullpen, he became one of the best relievers in college baseball in 2024 with a 1.83 ERA and a sharp 54/16 strikeout to walk ratio over 44.1 innings as a sophomore. Expected to start in 2025, he blew out his elbow alongside Mason McConnaughey (and during AJ Russell's rehab) and missed the entire season with Tommy John surgery, bringing us to today. When healthy, Abeldt is one of the tougher at bats out there, especially against lefties. Setting up on the far first base side of the rubber, he reaches way towards the first base bag for an extreme crossfire, sidearm delivery that puts one of the widest angles on the baseball that you'll find. His fastball sits low 90's and can tickle the mid to upper 90's at peak, while his slider lacks power in the low 80's but sweeps way across the plate. It's an especially tough pitch for lefties, starting behind their backs and diving all the way towards the right handed batters box. He has also begun to show a solid changeup, but he hasn't had much chance to use it yet. The Rangers may hope to run the 6'3" lefty out there as a starter, which could work given his average command and big frame, though some will see the funky delivery as being difficult to repeat more than a few innings at a time. Either way, Abeldt brings a unique, DFW-proud arm to Arlington.
6-175: 3B Jack Wheeler, Morris HS [IL]
Slot value: $374,100. Signing bonus: $525,000 ($150,900 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
The Rangers picked up a third prep bat here in the sixth round, going a bit above slot value to sign Jack Wheeler away from an Illinois commitment, where he would have been one of the Illini's better recruits in recent years. There is not much information out there on Wheeler, but he comes with plenty of upside. Listed at 6'5", he has a long, lean frame with plenty of room to add strength. He has a tight right handed swing that does well getting to balls all over the zone, though he has room to improve getting his A swing off consistently. While he needs to gain weight and get stronger, there is power upside given the frame and he performed extremely well against northern Illinois high school competition in 2025. Wheeler isn't quite quick enough for shortstop and likes to set his feet before he throws, but his plus arm that has been up to 92 on the mound gives him a shot to play third base in the pros. If he can maintain his fringy range, the arm should be enough to make him adequate at the hot corner. Wheeler is a bit old for the class and turned 19 just before the draft in July. He'll move a bit slower but could sneak up as a potential impact bat down the line.
7-205: OF Paxton Kling, Penn State
Slot value: $292,400. Signing bonus: $375,000 ($82,600 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #162. Baseball America: #264.
Paxton Kling is the rare high-upside, over slot 22 year old draft pick. He would have ranked inside the top one hundred prospects on my 2022 list out of high school in central Pennsylvania, but pulled his name out of the draft to attend LSU alongside a loaded recruiting class. While he showed well in a part time role as a freshman, his bat never fully materialized and he struggled at the plate as a sophomore in 2024. Transferring back home to Penn State, just an hour away from his hometown near Altoona, he put it all together with a massive junior season. Kling has a tight right handed swing with great leverage in his 6'2" frame, producing plus exit velocities at peak and helping him more than double his career home run output from five over his first two seasons at LSU to thirteen in 2025 at Penn State. He also cut his strikeout rate significantly from 24.9% as a sophomore to 16.7% as a junior, showing better hand-eye coordination and feel for the barrel. Kling has always been a relatively disciplined hitter and holds a career .436 on-base percentage, even finishing above .400 in his tough sophomore season. Contact remains the primary concern with the profile, as the Big Ten is a step down in competition from the SEC and it's still unknown how he will handle professional offspeed stuff. His power has consistently played down against more premium arms, and tapping that power will be key to remaining in the lineup. The supplemental tools remain a draw, with plus speed that helps him on the bases and in center field, where he figures to stick with a strong arm. The overall projection here is that of a platoon outfielder that can play all three positions and provide significant value for periods of time when he gets hot. Kling was very old for his graduating class and turned 22 well before the draft, making him more than a year older than fellow junior and Rangers second rounder AJ Russell.
9-265: LHP Owen Proksch, Duke
Slot value: $205,100. Signing bonus: $200,000 ($5,100 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #401.
Owen Proksch gives the Rangers a second DFW product in this class. A native of Southlake, he attended powerhouse Southlake Carroll High School that has produced numerous recent major league pitchers including Ross Stripling, Tyler Alexander, John Curtiss, and Michael Mariot. He headed across the country for school and while his first two seasons saw him make 54 appearances for Duke, the numbers didn't tell the story of a future pro pitcher with a 5.28 ERA and a modest 59/36 strikeout to walk ratio in 59.2 innings. Moving to the rotation in 2025, his performance took a step forward as well as he set career bests in ERA (4.68), strikeout rate (31.4%), and walk rate (9.7%), though he also finished second in the ACC by hitting 18 batters (behind only Miami's AJ Ciscar at 20). Proksch works with a fastball around 90 that reaches 94 at peak, but plays up more because of its run and sink rather than its velocity. He adds a sharp two-plane slider that could stand to add a little power, but has the potential to become an above average pitch. A longtime reliever, he doesn't really use his changeup much and will need to bring it along considerably. The 6'3" lefty is ultra physical and clearly has the build to start, while his command has taken a step forward and is now approaching average. He works from a low three quarters slot and hides the ball well with some stabbing action in the back to create some deception, then aggressively attacks hitters in the zone. If the Rangers can bring his changeup along, he could slot in as a back-end starter, but his experience as a fastball/slider lefty reliever from a funky slot could help him move quickly towards the bullpen at Globe Life Field, just fourteen miles south of his hometown.
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