Draft Recap, Rounds 4-20
Compared to last year, Texas had a much more balanced draft by age, drafting nine players from four-year schools versus 2024’s 15. The Rangers didn’t take a college hitter until the seventh round and only two overall. Conversely, they selected six high school hitters and four JuCo pitchers.
4/115. RHP Mason McConnaughey (Age 21.2, 6’3″, 220)
#386 by Baseball America
After a fine sophomore year, McConnaughey was Nebraska’s Friday starter until suffering an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, so check back in about a year. Per MLB.com’s Jim Callis on the live feed, McConnaughey was expected to go in the top five rounds if healthy, so, not for the first time, the Rangers baked in the expectation of a good season that never came to pass. He offers a low 90s fastball, low-80s slider, change. Despite a rough first start against UC-Irvine and a truncated finale, he struck out nearly a third of opponents in 2025.
5/146. LHP Ben Abeldt (Age 21.6, 6’3″, 210)
#291 by BA, #205 by BA, #256 by Perfect Game
Another TJ victim, in this case scratching his entire 2025 season. Abeldt worked in relief in his two seasons in purple, relying mainly on a low-slot heater than didn’t miss quite as many bats as Russell or McConnaughey but was tough to loft. He tacks on a low-80s slide and occasional change. McKinney native.
6/175. SS Jack Wheeler (Age 19.0, 6’5″, 205)
MLB says 3B, the Rangers say SS. He’s quite lean, appearing lighter than the listed 205, so I imagine he’ll fill out some more (or maybe he’s the next Jairo Beras or Will Lamb, perpetually bony.) He’s shown some contact skills and power at the plate. Wheeler also pitches. Callis mentioned a fastball reaching 94. Some video I found showed a 90-91 heater, a raw upper-70s curve and change around 80.
7/205. OF Paxton Kling (Age 22.1, 6’2″, 210)
#264 by BA, #162 by MLB.com, #141 by PG
Kling withheld from the draft out of high school to attend LSU and transferred to Penn State after a disappointing soph season. There, he lowered the strikeouts and displayed grownup power (.358/.470/.632) while manning center and stealing 15 bases. Nothing is promised from seventh-rounders, but he reads as no worse than quality upper-level depth worthy of mention in the daily reports, perhaps more if the bat holds up against better pitching.
8/235. RHP Evan Siary (Age 21.7, 6’1″, 190)
Siary spent three years at Mississippi State, graduating to a (mostly) starting role and posting a strong 4.00 ERA with 15 walks and 72 strikeouts in 54 innings. I couldn’t find much in print about Siary, but video reveals an 89-91 fastball that touches 93 and is tough to pick up, an 83ish slider, a diving mid-80s change, and a 71-78 curve that he can move around and bend into a semi-sweeper. I expect he’ll start initially, but that repertoire had me thinking about a change-of-pace long reliever.
9/265. LHP Owen Proksch (Age 21.5, 6’3″, 225)
#401 by BA, #456 by PG
Wisconsin-born but Southlake-raised, “O Pro” switched from relief to dependable starter as a junior for Duke, striking out 91 in 65.1 innings. His superficially tolerable walk rate (a hair under 10%) was badly undercut by 18 hit batters, nearly one per outing. 90ish fastball, 80ish, sweeper, change.
10/295. RHP J.D. McReynolds (Age 22.3, 6’4″, 220)
McReynolds is a senior reliever out of D2 Central Missouri, and the signing bonus should reflect that. His final season was a beauty with 95 Ks in 57 innings (42%) and just 19 walks plus a 1.41 ERA.
11/325. RHP Jacob Johnson (Age 19.1, 6’3″, 165)
#475 by BA, #381 by PG
He started for Pearl River Community College in the bootheel of Mississippi after missing his senior season due to TJ. Committed to Auburn, with a low-90s fastball, low-80s slider and change.
12/355. RHP Jake Barbee (Age 18.8, 6’3″, 180)
Barbee played in Concord, NC, a Charlotte exurb an hour and change from Hickory, and he’s committed to USC-Upstate in Hub City’s home of Spartanburg. Good frame, has reached the mid-90s.
13/385. RHP Aiden Robertson (Age 20.2, 6’2″, 185)
#284 by BA
Pitched at Walters State in Tennessee, where the Rangers have a history (Brett Martin, Chad Bell, Kohl Drake), and committed to Virginia Tech. Per Baseball America, his 130 strikeouts (in 89.2 IP) were the most in top-level JuCo ball. His velocity and mechanics are inconsistent, but he can reach the mid-90s with his sinker.
14/415. RHP Landon Manzi (Age 17.6, 6’3″, 190)
Manzi is absurdly young, not turning 18 until November. He has the opportunity to pitch for Northeastern U and was noncommittal when asked of his destination.
15/445. SS Luke Hanson (Age 21.8, 6’3”, 200)
Part of Texas’s draft strategy is to describe every infielder as a shortstop and will it into existence. Like Wheeler, Hanson is listed at short despite more experience elsewhere, primarily third. At Virginia, he batted .286/.387/.490 as a sophomore but backslid to .248/.373/.333 as a junior.
16/475. RHP Jaxon Grossman (Age 21.3, 6’4”, 220)
The Rangers have their first Jaxon, but certainly not their last. Its nascent popularity at the time of Mr. Grossman’s birth peaked about a decade later and remains strong. He entered the Salt Lake Community College rotation as the season progressed, and MLB.com notes a fastball reaching 97.
17/505. C Noah Franklin (Age 18.8, 6’1”, 215)
#313 by PG
Franklin comes from TXNL Academy in Florida, where the Rangers also have a history (Ryan Dease, Kyle Larsen) that has yet to produce a Major Leaguer. MLB.com says he’s bat-first but could stick behind the plate, and he’ll head to South Carolina if unsigned.
18/535. RHP Julius Sanchez (Age 21.8, 6’0”, 215)
Another pitcher who’ll come to Texas bandaged (assuming he signs). Sanchez disappeared after an early-March start. I’ve seen older reports in a low-to-mid90s fastball, 80 slider and mid-to-upper-80s change.
19/565. RHP Cory Geinzer (Age 19.0, 6’4”, 210)
Pitched for College of Central Florida last season. His fastball has improved to the low 90s augmented with a cutter, slider and change. I’m unaware of any commitment to a university next season.
20/595. OF Jamaurion “Jay” McQueen (Age 18.8, 6’2”, 185)
#269 by BA
My favorite player in the draft because, like me, he throws left and bats right. A future star worth any amount of draft tax. Okay, but seriously, BA says he owns some patience, contact ability and power potential. He’s committed to South Alabama and might need some persuasion to forego it, given a writeup suggesting a top-ten-round destination.
Free Agents
Per baseball America, Texas has signed undrafted free agents Jack Collins, a catcher from Cal Poly, and LHP Louis Marinaro from St. John’s.
Complex
Baseball America’s rankings of Arizona League prospects placed infielders Yolfran Castillo and Devin Fitz-Gerald (now in Hickory) 13th and 17th, respectively. For the most part, these single-league rankings reiterate BA’s prior opinions, which is why Castillo (deservedly) holds a good spot despite an ordinary season, although Fitz-Gerald did receive a bump with his fine showing.
In his fourth post-TJ appearance, Jose Corniell threw two scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
Redrafts
RHP Grayson Saunier, Texas’s 19th-round selection in 2022 out of high school, was picked in the 17th by Houston after seasons with Mississippi and the Longhorns. The Tigers grabbed SS Jack Goodman in the 15th round from Northeastern; he was Texas’s unsigned 15th-rounder from 2022.
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