Five potential fits for Rangers in 2026 MLB draft: A two-way talent, a wild card and more
· Yahoo Sports
The Major League Baseball draft begins Saturday at noon and if you are very interested, very diligent and very handy with a remote, you might be able to watch it.
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MLB has shifted this year’s draft to a Saturday afternoon start with the first four rounds and then the final 16 rounds on Sunday. The first 10 picks will be televised on NBC/Peacock and then it shifts to the MLB Network for picks 11-40 and finally to MLB.com/MLB TV for the remainder of the day’s proceedings, so if you are interested in seeing where Fort Worth Christian’s Grady Emerson, the top high schooler in the country, goes and have interest in the Rangers’ picks, you could be channel surfing three times.
And next year, if MLB has it’s way, the format will change again, as owners have proposed limiting the draft to 12 rounds and excluding high school players. So, this might be your last chance to catch the draft in this format.
That said, here’s everything you need to know about the Rangers’ draft situation heading into what scouting director Kip Fagg calls a “very deep draft."
The picks
The Rangers’ first-round pick is No. 16 overall, but they will also have picks No. 54, 89 and 117 on the first day. The first-round choice has an assigned bonus slot value of $5,051,000.
The bonus pool
The Rangers have up to $10,219,200 to spend on their first 10 picks. While there are assigned slot bonuses for each pick, teams are not required to spend that amount of money. Any money saved can be allotted for lower picks. Picks between rounds 11-20 have a $150,000 maximum with anything over that counting against the bonus pool.
The pool system creates a draft strategy that is not always about getting the single best talent, but about getting the most value.
Historical fun fact
At some point this season, the Rangers’ top draft choices from the 2018-23 drafts have appeared on the major league roster: Cole Winn (2018), Josh Jung (2019), Justin Foscue (2020), Jack Leiter (2021), Kumar Rocker (2022) and Wyatt Langford (2023).
The 2025 first-rounder
The Rangers selected California high school infielder Gavin Fien with the 12th overall pick last year, but Fien appeared in just 10 games as a member of the organization before being traded to Washington as part of the package that landed MacKenzie Gore. Fien, 19, has already been moved to the outfield and was slashing .240/.328/.406/.734 at Class A Fredricksburg (Va.).
The potential 2026 first-rounders
A look at five potential fits for the Rangers in this year’s draft:
The two-way talentJared Grindlinger, LHP-OF, Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS: A month ago, it seemed like if Grindlinger was available at 16, he’d absolutely be the Rangers' pick, no discussion. He’s a legitimate two-way player and the Rangers have invested heavily in two-way players the last couple of years with third-round pick Josh Owens a year ago and international signee Seong Jun-Kim. So, there are reasons to believe he’s the best fit. He’s got a fastball that ranges up 96 mph, though, according to Baseball America, it has sat closer to 94 this season. And he’s reportedly got good feel for both a slider and a changeup. At the plate, he has strong contact skills, but has yet to really show power. And while there is plenty to project about a 6-3, 190-pound 17-year-old, there might not be one tool that jumps off the board.
The gene-pool guyTrevor Condon, OF, Etowah (Ga.) HS: The Rangers have been drawn to good athletic genes for some recent first rounders such as Jack Leiter in 2021 (son of MLB pitcher Al Leiter) and Kumar Rocker in 2022 (son of Outland Trophy winner Tracy Rocker). Would they try the brother pool? Condon, perhaps the third-best high school hitting prospect in the draft, is the younger brother of Colorado’s Charlie Condon, the third overall pick in 2024 and the No. 64 prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com. And he’s drawing some online comps to Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field for his intensity, flair and extreme speed. Maybe it’s just trendy at the moment to drop PCA’s name, but it’s high praise.
The wild cardTyler Bell, SS, Kentucky: If you follow the mocks, Bell’s curve has been wild. We’ve seen him going anywhere from the top three, as a guy who might take a bit less than slot to go higher, to as low as the Rangers at 16. A switch-hitting shortstop who might be the top talent to come out of the talent-rich SEC? Consider us intrigued. Bell was the No. 66 overall pick in 2024 out of high school, but opted for Kentucky instead. Perhaps the biggest issue impacting his draft stock is a labrum tear in his non-throwing shoulder. He played through it and still put up a 1.108 OPS for the Wildcats, but is going to need surgery that will likely take him out of any baseball the remainder of the year. The bet here is he ends up in the top 10, but if he slides, it’s going to lead to lots of talk in the draft room.
The catcherDaniel Jackson, C, Georgia: Given the short supply of adequate hitters at catcher, there may not be any position where getting a serviceable big-leaguer is more difficult or more valuable. The Rangers used their first-rounder in 2024 on college catcher Malcolm Moore, who may have been undervalued at the time and is now looking more and more like a legitimate catching prospect. To that we add: Why not the Golden Spikes winner? Jackson, who transferred to Georgia after starting as a Terrier at Wofford, has done nothing but improve every step along the way. He’s considered more athletic than typical catching prospects and he’s got the ability to run a bit. He’s currently considered the No. 3 catcher on the board behind Georgia Tech’s Vahn Lackey (who is expected to go in the top 5) and Arkansas’ Ryder Helfrick (who may crack the top 10). If there is a big weakness, it’s the potential for swing-and-miss, but there is no doubt he’s got big-time power (32 homers this year) and that’s a tool that will always play.
The potential bargainConnor Comeau, SS, Anderson HS (Austin): The Texas A&M commit has profiled as a second-round pick on most draft projections, but has climbed steadily up boards and made a very strong impression during a recent Rangers draft workout. He’s a very tall 6-4 shortstop, which might work against him staying at the position long-term, which might ding his draft value. But he’s a disciplined hitter with a good approach, and at only 180 pounds there is all kinds of room to dream on his potential power. He’s also just 17 and doesn’t turn 18 until August. This is considered a deep draft, which also means there might not be a huge difference between prospect No. 15 and No. 50 in skill, but might be a big difference in bonus payout. And if the Rangers save money in the first round, there are places where it could be applied later on to take advantage of even more depth.