Recap of the Rangers first 3 rounds of the 2025 mLB Draft
Entering the 2025 MLB Draft the word on the street was that the Rangers were all in on the high school shortstop. They were reported to be interested in Steele Hall, Jojo Parker, Daniel Pierce, Billy Carlson, and Kayson Cunningham.
In the first round of the draft the Texas Rangers selected SS/3B Gavin Fien 12th overall. I didn't see anyone mention Fien with the Rangers but I could have missed it. Fien has a well rounded bat with good bat speed and compact swing that produce exit velos over triple digits. He does have an unconventional swing, but it does work for him. He is also willing to adjust in the box. Some say he might have the best high school bat in the class. Reliable defense and strong arm which could let him stick at third base. He also handled high velo extremely well against some of the best high school arm, he had an 11% strikeout rate. Had a rough spring but is a very mentally strong young man. I like that they went with a bat and a very well rounded bat with plus raw power. The Rangers need more bats in the farm system. He will fit in nicely in the system.
In the second round the Rangers draft A.J. Russell a RHP from Tennessee. Russell has a 70 grade fastball. His fastball has an extreme movement profile and explodes out of his hand
in the 92-94 mph range and has been up to 98. The pitch has two-seam shape and lots of
armside run that makes it difficult to barrel. It generated a 42% miss rate pre-surgery. It's a potential 70-grade offering with how it plays and a pitch that Russell goes to frequently because he throws strikes with it. His secondaries are bigger questions. Russell throws a mid-80s slider as his primary
secondary offering. He didn't throw much this year because he was coming back from Tommy John. The Rangers have done well with injured pitching prospects as of late. He could either go as a starter or he could be a high leverage reliever.
In the third round the Rangers drafted two-way player Josh Owens. Owens has a 6' 3" frame weighing at 185 pounds. Definitely room to add muscle. Owens’s normal comparison is outfielder Evan Carter. Has solid bat-to-ball skills and a clean, functional left-handed swing that can get a bit long at times. He should grow into plus raw power and does a nice job backspinning the ball to the opposite field. He’s flashed some good raw power in batting practice at the combine with a 108 MPH max EV. He’s shown great run times and also looks sharp at shortstop with a strong arm that’s also recorded some time on the mound. Also has really good baseball instincts. He can run his fastball up to 92 on the mound. Owens looks to have good upside and could be a steal in this draft if he develops well. Love the potential here.
