Texas Rangers 2022 Draft recap

Now that the Texas Rangers 2022 draft is complete it is the perfect time for a draft recap.

The Texas Rangers picks break down into the following positions:

• 10 Right-handed pitchers
• 3 Left-handed pitchers
• 3 Outfielders
• 2 Infielders

The Texas Rangers gave up a compensation pick when they signed both Marcus Semien and Corey Seager to contracts last winter so they were without their 2nd or 3rd round pick.

Here are the Texas Rangers 2022 draft picks

Round 1 (3): Kumar Rocker

The Texas Rangers shocked all of baseball when they selected Kumar Rocker with the 3rd overall pick.

Everyone is familiar with Kumar Rocker by now so we won’t rehash what he did with Vanderbilt or the Mets not signing him story.

Rocker apparently has looked even better than he did with Vanderbilt while pitching in the Frontier League. His fast ball was sitting 94-96 but reached up to 99 mph. In his 5 starts, he had a 1-0 win-loss record with a 1.35 earned run average in 20 innings. He only walked 5 batters and struckout 32 and had a 0.750 WHIP.

The Rangers and Rocker have already agreed to terms on a $5.2MM bonus.

Round 4 (109): Brock Porter

Porter is a right-handed pitcher who was ranked as the No. 11 prospect by MLB prior to the draft. Porter is also strongly committed to Clemson so signing him might prove to be a challenge. The savings with signing Rocker under slot value will certainly help and I have no doubt the Rangers are confident they can sign him.

Porter threw an impressive three no-hitters. For the season he posted a 0.41 earned run average and struck out an impressive 115 opposing batters in 58 innings pitched. He was also named as Michigan’s Gatorade player of the year.

Round 5 (139): Chandler Pollard

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

Pollard, 18, is versatile playing shortstop and outfield but is now listed as an outfielder. He is committed to Washington State.

He slashed .521/.652/1.085/1.737 at the plate with 11 home runs, 36 RBI, 29 walks compared to 12 strikeouts. He’s got speed on the bases as well as evidenced by his 59 stolen bases.

Round 6 (169): Tommy Specht

Bats : Left | Throws: Right

Tommy Specht is an outfielder from Wahlerrt HS in Iowa.

Most recently in the 2022 Prospect League he hit .262/.373/.357/.730 with 9 RBI.

Round 7 (199): Luis Ramirez

Ramirez, 21, is a right-handed pitcher from Long Beach State. In 7 starts he pitched to a tune of a 2-1 win-loss record with a 2.14 earned run average in 33.2 innings. He walked 11 batters and struckout 38.

In addition to college baseball, he pitched in the Cape Cod Summer League in 2021 posting an 0-2 record with a 3.10 earned run average in 29 innings.

Ramirez has a fantastic sinker that sits in the low-90’s, nice curveball. He can reach up to 96 mph on his fastball and throws a change as well.

Round 8 (229): Matt Brosky

Brosky, 23 in September, is a right-handed pitcher out of Youngstown State University.

In 15 starts, he had 6-7 win-loss record with a 2.65 earned run average in 98.2 innings. He issued 22 walks and struckout 102. Opponents batted for a .231 average. For 2022, he was named Horizon League Pitcher of the Year.

Round 9 (259): Griffin Cheney

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

Cheney, 23, is a shortstop from Georgia State University. In 53 games, he slashed a line of .350/.445/.640/1.085 with 16 home runs and 38 RBI. He worked 33 walks and struckout 47 times.

Round 10 (289): Josh Hatcher

Bats: Left | Throws: Left

Hatcher, 24 in September, slashed a line of .391/.452/.667/1.119 with 15 home runs and 59 RBI for the Kennesaw State Owls this season. He worked 24 walks/39 strikeouts.

Round 11 (319): Kohl Drake

Drake, 22, is a left-handed pitcher and local to the DFW area. He is from Sachse and went to Wylie High School.

In 93.1 innings pitched he had an incredible 14-0 win-loss record with a 1.93 earned run average. He had 160 K’s and only issued 17 walks for the Walters State Senators.

His incredible season led to some awards including the ABCA/Rawlings NJCAA DI Pitcher of the Year and Region VII/TCCAA Pitcher of the Year.

Round 12 (349): Jackson Kelley

Kelley, 22 is a right-handed pitcher. In 2022 for the Mercer Bears, he had a 7-0 win-loss record with an impressive 1.35 earned run average in 60 innings pitched. He issued 18 walks and struck 82, averaging 12.3 strikeouts per 9.

He also pitched in the Cape Cod League and had a 0.56 earned run average in 16 innings. He only issued two walks and struckout 25.

Round 13 (379): Caden Marcum

Marcum, 19 in August, is a right-handed pitcher out of Paola HS. Baseball America had him ranked #445. It remains to be seen if the Rangers will be able to persuade him to sign.

Round 14 (409): Andrew Owen

Owen, 20, is a right-handed pitcher drafted out of Grossmont College. There’s not much information out there about him.

Round 15 (439): Jack Goodman

Bats: Right | Throws: Right

Goodman, 18, is a shortstop from Medfield High School.

He hit for a .523 average with an OPS of 1.515 with 7 home runs and 28 RBI in 23 games.

Round 16 (469): Nick Bautista III

Bautista, 20, out of Cypress College made 15 appearances/13 starts and had a 5.51 earned run average. In 63.2 innings, he struckout 77 but also issued 41 walks.

Round 17 (499): Carson Dorsey

Carson Dorsey, 19, is a left-handed pitcher standing at 6’3, 160 lb. He had a 3.07 earned run average in 58.2 innings and struckout 102 batters.

You could say the Rangers went bananas with this pick. Carson pitched for the Savanah Bananas. He had a 1.61 earned run average with 32 strikeouts compared to 3 walks in 22.1 innings.

Round 18 (529): Justin Sanchez

Justin Sanchez, 18, is a left-handed pitcher listed at 6’0 and 185 lb. He is committed to South Florida.

Round 19 (559): Grayson Saunier

Grayson Saunier, 18, is a right-handed pitcher who is committed to Ole Miss. It sounds like it’s going to be tough to pry him away from that commitment. Baseball America had him ranked at #181.

Round 20 (589): Matt Scott

Matt Scott, 18, is a right-handed pitcher listed at 6’6 and 230 lb. He is committed to Stanford. Baseball America had him listed at #166.

The Rangers are probably going to have issues signing some of these players they drafted in the later rounds so don’t be surprised to see some of them honor their commitments. If they do manage to sign Brock Porter (I think they will) then this is a solid draft for the Texas Rangers.