The Mocks Like High School Shortstops for the Rangers
We are just under two weeks away from the beginning of the 2025 MLB Draft. There have been several updates to various mock drafts since our last article about the draft. The MLB Draft Combine just finished up this past weekend. Let’s take a look at who some of the first round mock drafts have the Rangers taking, and also look at an intriguing player who performed well at the combine and could be drafted by the Rangers on day one of the draft.
The Latest Mock Drafts
Baseball America – JoJo Parker, SS Purvis (MS) HS
MLB – Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek (GA) HS
ESPN – Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville (AL) HS
Prospects Live - Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson (Texas) HS
Future Star Series - Kayson Cunningham, SS — Johnson (Texas) HS
Call to the Pen - Seth Hernandez, Corona (CA) HS
USA Today – Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson (Texas) HS
Keith Law - Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson (Texas) HS
Baseball Prospect Journal – JoJo Parker, SS Purvis (MS) HS
FLO Baseball - Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson (Texas) HS
Just Baseball – Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona
Kayson Cunningham
Kayson Cunningham seems to be the favorite pick for the Rangers in the first round for those doing mock drafts. Of the eleven mock drafts I found, five of them had Cunningham going to the Rangers at number twelve.
Four other mock drafts had the Rangers picking one of three other high school shortstops. The prognosticators really believe the Rangers will take a high school shortstop in the first round.
One mock draft had the Rangers taking OF Brendan Summerhill out of Arizona. He was the only college player taken in the eleven mock drafts combined. One other mock draft surprisingly had high school pitcher, Seth Hernandez, falling to the Rangers at number twelve.
Kayson Cunningham has a strong hit tool and a strong run tool. This year, his slash line was .509/.607/.769. He was named the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year. He is known for great barrel control with the ability to cover the zone, and hit the ball hard to all fields. He could be the best pure hitter in the prep class. However, there are some who have concerns about his power tool.
He has the defensive tools to stick at shortstop, but some feel he may eventually have to move to second base. Scouts like his hands, footwork, range, and arm strength. He is 5’10” and weighs 178 pounds.
Draft Combine Standout
From the Draft Combine reports, the most intriguing name for me is catcher, Taitn Gray. He is from Dallas Center-Grimes Community HS in Dallas Center, Iowa. He was named the Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year. He has impressed scouts at the combine and is shooting up the draft boards. Baseball America now has him at 126th overall and Prospects Live has him at 88th overall. The Rangers select at number 52 in the second round and at number 84 in the third round.
Gray is a switch hitter. He is 6’3” and weighs 215 pounds. In his session of batting practice at the combine he had 3 of the top 7 exit velocities. He crushes balls from both sides of the plate but has a somewhat smoother swing from the left side. He doesn’t turn 18 until a month after the draft so he will be one of the younger players in the draft.
This season Gray batted .538 with 14 home runs, and 39 RBI. His other worldly slash line was .508/.709/.1.165 for an incredible OPS of 1.874. At the combine he hit from the left side at an early session and was bashing the ball down the right-field line and maxed out with a 114.5 mph exit velocity. Later, he batted from the right side and showed opposite-field power to the gap and pulled a 428-foot moonshot to left field.
During batting practice earlier this season he hit a ball that easily cleared the center field fence, went beyond some trees and light poles and landed in a parking lot. The ball hit one of his teammates’ cars. Some coaches, teammates and scouts went with him to see where the ball landed. They used a tracking app to measure it, and it had traveled 510 feet.
The question is, can he stick at catcher. He needs more development at the position to play there in the big leagues. Even if he has to move to 1B or LF, his bat will make him very valuable.
Taitn Gray has moved up the draft boards this year and is currently expected to go in the 80s to 90s range according to some boards. This kid has a ton of upside. If the Rangers take him at 54, I would be happy with that. I think if he lasts until 84, he would be a steal.
