The Texas Rangers will pick 16th overall Saturday in the MLB Draft, where the team has selected a bevy of college players in recent years.
ARLINGTON — Gavin Fien represented a shift last year for the Texas Rangers, who ended six consecutive years of selecting a college player with their first pick in the MLB Draft.
They made Fien, a prep shortstop/third baseman, the No. 12 overall pick and gave him his first taste of professional baseball late last season at Low A Hickory. He received a mouthful of pro ball in January, when he was traded to the Nationals in the MacKenzie Gore deal.
That’s not to say the Rangers won’t go the prep route again Saturday in the 2026 MLB Draft with the 16th overall pick, but past trends suggest they won’t. The Rangers will make four picks Saturday and 16 on Sunday with just over $10 million in their bonus pool.
The draft is deep with talent, Rangers amateur scouting director Kip Fagg said, from the college and prep ranks. The goal, he said, is to draft and sign quality players in all 20 rounds, but teams can’t miss in the first round.
Of the Rangers’ past 10 initial picks, the first eight reached the major leagues with them and six are on the current active roster. On Thursday alone, 2020 first-rounder Justin Foscue homered and drove in two runs; 2019 first-rounder Josh Jung doubled and scored; 2018 first-rounder Cole Winn got a critical out in the ninth inning and was the winning pitcher; and 2023 first-rounder Wyatt Langford came off the injured list and delivered the walk-off hit.
“We’ve become a lot better at streamlining the process of selecting guys, and they’re showing up in the big leagues, which is kind of cool,” Fagg said.
Theoretically, college draftees get to the major leagues sooner. Though the Rangers say they don’t draft for need, they will need replacements for Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi in a few years. All teams want to draft and develop starting pitchers.
The Rangers dispatch their amateur scouts across the country, but history shows they like players from the warm-weather, talent-rich southeastern part of the country. They also aren’t afraid to take players who are injured or coming off recent injuries.
At No. 16, multiple scenarios are in play ahead of them. The Rangers may trust what’s worked over the past 10 years, beginning with Cole Ragans at 30th overall, but more specifically from 2019 to 2023.
That appears to be what various mock drafts are doing when attempting to forecast what the Rangers will do. Here’s a group of players who could be in the Rangers’ sights.
Liam Peterson, RHP
School: Florida
Key traits: 6-foot-5, 225 pounds; can touch the upper 90s
The big right-hander had a solid season for the Gators, spending all season in their rotation. He fits the mold of A.J. Russell, the Rangers’ second-rounder last year, as a big, power right-hander.
Peterson entered the season considered one of the top prospects in the draft, yet his stock has fallen to the range where this could be a good value pick. The Rangers selected Langford from Florida fourth overall in 2023.
Hunter Dietz, LHP
School: Arkansas
Key traits: 6-foot-6, 235 pounds; mid-90s velo; good feel for spin
The Rangers have a shortage of left-handed rotation prospects in their farm system, with the exception of Dalton Pence and Josh Trentadue at Double A Frisco. The Rangers definitely have a shortage of power lefties.
Dietz was an ace for one of the top programs in the country, and he came from a powerhouse high school in Florida. He has some injury history, though a stress fracture in his pitching elbow was a few seasons ago. Nevertheless, it could scare off some suitors or knock his price tag down some.
Cameron Flukey, rhp
School: Coastal Carolina
Key traits: 95-96 mph fastball; good curveball and slider; can get stronger
Like Peterson, Flukey was in the preseason conversation as the top college pitcher based on his 2025 campaign. He was knocked off course some this season with a stress fracture in a rib, and wasn’t as good as he had been upon returning. He has dipped outside of the top 20 on some draft boards, which could make him a below-slot signing at No. 16. Long and lean, maybe too lean, Flukey could add strength to his frame and velocity to his fastball.
Justin Lebron, ss
School: Alabama
Key traits: Right-handed power; good speed and defender; too much chase
One mock draft said that Lebron was in the conversation to be the top overall pick before the season, but he struggled offensively in the difficult Southeast Conference. If he slides to No. 16, the Rangers would have a hard time passing on his tools.
Yes, the Rangers have multiple shortstops in the system, starting in the majors with Corey Seager and including Sebastian Walcott and Yolfran Castillo. Like most up-the-middle players, Lebron is athletic enough to move positions if warranted.
Jared Grindlinger, of/lhp
School: Huntington Beach (Calif.) High School
Key traits: Big arm; good feel for spin; high-contact hitter
Grindlinger is the top two-way player in the draft, and he’s also one of the youngest players (17 in April) in the draft after reclassifying from the class of 2027. He’s committed to Tennessee, where his brother is a catcher. The Rangers drafted a two-way player, Josh Owens, last year in the third round.
Two mock drafts have the Rangers taking Grindlinger based on their past history of taking risks with prep players. He would have ranked as one of the top high school players in next year’s draft, and there’s something to like about that. The college commitment is scary, though.
Trevor Condon, of
School: Etowah HS, Woodstock, Ga.
Key traits: Top-line speed, good swing decisions, power is coming
The lefty-hitting center fielder batted .504 this season to be named the Georgia player of the year. He catches everyone’s attention with his speed, 70-grade in scouting lingo, and his ability to make contact could result in more power as he develops.
The Tennessee commit is drawing comparisons to Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong, who is wildly fast and packs punch at the plate from the left side. It would take time to get there, and an unorthodox swing might come with some risk.
Jeff Wilson, jwilson@alldlls.com
