The MLB Draft is one of my favorite events of the year. Teams get an influx of young talent into their minor league systems. The thing I love the most is that so many young players get to see their dreams come true. When you watch draft prospects receive the phone call that they've been selected, the emotion they show tells you everything. Years of hard work and blood, sweat, and tears have paid off. The Rangers made those dreams come true today with four selections.
Round 1: Gio Rojas LHP-
Gio Rojas is a left-handed pitcher out of Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. The Florida southpaw is 6'4" and weighs around 190 pounds. He is a tremendous athlete and has a good delivery. From his lower release slot Rojas can run it up to 98 MPH and sits around the mid-to-low 90's. At the top of the zone the high spin fastball obliterates opposing hitters. He also shows good feel for location with the pitch. Rojas complements his fastball with a slider and a changeup. The slider features good depth and has good spin capacity. He can spin it up to 2600-2800 rpm. The changeup has average traits, but will likely need some work. Although Rojas has a tendency to show the ball early to hitters, I believe that is something the Rangers can iron out and probably won't be a big problem. The ceiling on Gio Rojas is high, I was shocked he was still available when the Rangers were on the clock. I thought he would end up going in the top 10, but I won't complain at all. I love this pick for the Rangers.
Round 2: Connor Comeau SS-
The Rangers liked Connor Comeau enough that it was a possibility that they were going to select him in the first round. He reportedly made a very strong impression during a recent Rangers draft workout (according to Evan Grant). Comeau is a 6'4" high school shortstop from Anderson, Texas. He has a very polished approach at the plate at the young age of 17. Comeau uses the entire field and has some power to grow into. Given his size and average speed the Texas native will likely shift over to third base because of his above average arm strength. Lots to like about this pick for the Rangers. Advanced hitting approach at a very young age with some power projection. Definitely a prospect you may want to keep an eye on in the future.
Round 3: Brody Bumila LHP-
If you had told me a few weeks ago that the 6'9" left-handed flamethrower was going to be available in the third round, I would have been shocked. However, after the recent news that Brody Bumila would likely need elbow surgery I had a pretty good gut feeling that he could end up in Arlington. The Rangers aren't afraid to select pitchers with elbow issues. They have had some success in a rehab process they have seemingly developed. With the talent Bumila possesses, how could you not love this pick? Brody Bumila stands at a staggering 6'9" and can throw triple digits. That alone is incredibly intriguing. In addition, he releases the ball from a lower slot to make it even more difficult on opposing hitters. The fastball not only hits 100 MPH, but gets around 18 inches of induced vertical break. Combined with the good vertical movement, Bumila also gets 15 inches of some arm side tail. He truly has a unicorn kind of fastball. Bumila also offers a change up and a slider. The changeup, the better of the two, will still need to continue to develop, but the pitch has traits to end up being a plus offering like huge fade and considerable depth. The slider sits in the low 80's and can be cutter-like at times. Bumila has also worked in a curveball. Brody Bumila is going to be a project, but man the ceiling on him is sky high.
Round 4: Hudson Calhoun RHP-
Hudson Calhoun was strictly used out of the bullpen at Ole Miss in 2026. Another larger-bodied pitcher for the Rangers, he stands at 6'4" around 210 pounds. In 2026, Hudson logged 46.2 innings and posted a 32.8 K%. The right-hander attacks hitters with five pitches headlined by a fastball that can get up to 98 MPH. The pitch misses a lot of bats due to the ride and arm side run it gets. The breaking balls are his swing and miss pitches as a result of some two-plane action with the cutter and slider. The cutter sits in the upper 80's while the slider is in the lower 80's that sweeps away from right-handed hitters. His primary weapon against left-handed hitters is a fading changeup. The pitch is not perfect, but it has some traits to where it could eventually become a plus offering for him. The curveball sits in the upper 70s and grades as an average pitch. Hudson Calhoun will have to fine-tune his command at the next level in order to find success down the road. Walks can be an issue, in 2026 he did post the best walk rate of his career, but it was still north of 12%. Looks like Calhoun has the traits to possibly become a starter in pro ball, and I have a feeling that's what the plan is here. Sleeper pick.
It's a boom-or-bust draft class, which I don't mind CY, Ross Fenstermaker, and the scouting department pursuing. The Rangers farm could use a little bit of oomph. These first four picks certainly give you that. If both Brody Bumila and Gio Rojas develop into quality arms, man, the Rangers' pitching staff is going to be very electric. Excited for day two of the draft. Stay tuned, I will have a day 2 recap tomorrow as well.
