Mock Draft Modifications and Other Rangers Draft Notes
The 2025 MLB Draft will take place on July 13-14, in Atlanta, as part of MLB's All-Star Week.
The 2025 MLB draft is only eight days away. Many of the draft prospect rankings and the mock drafts have been updated over the last few days. As a reminder, the Rangers are drafting at pick numbers 12, 52, and 84 in the top 3 rounds. Let’s take a look at the latest information and prognostications that concern the Rangers.
Baseball America came out with their updated mock draft on June 30. They have college RHP Kyson Witherspoon out of Oklahoma going to the Rangers with pick number 12. They also mention that the Rangers have been connected with Ike Irish, Billy Carlson, Steele Hall, Daniel Pierce, Marek Houston, Xavier Neyens, and Gavin Kilen. Of those names, Irish and Carlson are the ones who intrigue me the most. I have favored the Rangers drafting Ike Irish for several months. Billy Carlson has almost always been expected to be taken several slots before the Rangers pick. They have Irish being mocked at number 9.
MLB Pipeline released their latest mock draft on July 4. They have the Rangers drafting a high school shortstop, Daniel Pierce, from Mill Creek, Georgia. Baseball America doesn’t have Pierce being selected until pick number 23.
The Rangers have been mocked to select a high school shortstop several times over the past few weeks. MLB has Witherspoon being drafted right after the Rangers. I think of the two, Witherspoon seems to make the most sense. They have Ike Irish being selected by the Cardinals with pick number 5. That is the highest I have seen Irish mocked.
The Baseball Prospect Journal released their latest mock draft on July 3. They have the Rangers taking a college outfielder, Brendan Summerhill from Arizona. I have seen him mocked to the Rangers a few times over the past few months.
Flo Baseball published their latest mock draft on June 25. They have Wake Forest shortstop, Marek Houston, going to the Rangers in the first round. Flo Baseball had Summerhill going just before the Rangers pick to the Diamondbacks with the 11th pick, and Kyson Witherspoon going just after the Rangers selection to the Giants at number 13. They also have Ike Irish going at number 9.
Draft Combine Notes
Quentin Young is another player who made a big impression on scouts at the Draft Combine in Arizona. He is another high school shortstop from Oaks Christian High School in California. He is expected to move to 3B after he is drafted, and some think he could eventually be a RF with his strong arm. He is a power hitter with some swing-and-miss issues. He will be one of the younger players available in the draft.
He put up a 115.4 mph EV at the combine. Some evaluators have given his power tool a double plus grade. He stands at 6’6”. The Bleacher Report says Young is the 6th best power hitting prospect in this draft. Young is ranked at number 37 by MLB, so he probably won’t be available when the Rangers draft at number 52, but he could be. I still want Taitn Gray at number 52, though.
Landyn Vidourek is an outfielder from Cincinnati who impressed on Day 2 of the MLB Draft Combine. He had the second-longest (424 feet) and second hardest (113.4 mph) hits of the day. Vidourek has a power/speed combination that saw him hit 14 home runs and steal 39 bases this year for Cincinnatti. He may be a player that interests the Rangers early on Day 2 of the draft.
Who Will Not Be There For The Rangers
After studying a lot of mock drafts and draft boards it has become easy to see that there are some players who almost certainly will be selected before the Rangers pick at number 12. The players who are in this category are:
Ethan Holliday, 2B/SS Stillwater HS, Oklahoma
Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS, Oklahoma
Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS, California
Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State
Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS, California
Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
Who Could Be There For The Rangers
If for some reason one of those 8 players fall to number 12 that would be fantastic for the Rangers. The chances are extremely slim that that will happen though. Future Star Series does have the Rangers picking Jamie Arnold, the LHP from Florida State, at number 12, but that doesn’t seem possible.
After those 8 players, there are 7 other draft prospects who seem to be in the next tier. More than likely, the Rangers will pick one of these 7 players. The 7 prospects are:
Ike Irish, C/OF, Auburn
Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
Jo Jo Parker, SS, Purvis HS, Mississippi
Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona
Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
Kayson Cunningham, SS/2B, Johnson HS, Texas
Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas
I Like Ike
Having 7 different prospects in this range should ensure that the Rangers will get a very impressive player with their first round pick. I have wanted the Rangers to be able to select Ike Irish for a few months. However, it is looking more and more likely that his stock has risen a little to high to be available, but then, I didn't think Wyatt Langford would be there when we chose in 2023. Maybe Irish will still be available at number 12.
https://theprospecttimes.com/tis-the-season-for-mock-drafts-and-draft-boards/
https://theprospecttimes.com/the-mocks-like-high-school-shortstops-for-the-rangers/
