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Draft Report Cards: Texas Rangers
By Jim Callis
October 22, 2010
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QUICK TAKE
New scouting director Kipp **** had three extra picks to play with, and the Rangers found the money to sign all of them. Texas loaded up on projectable high schoolers early and took some intriguing collegians in later rounds.
Bonus spending: $8.5 million
POSITION PLAYERS
BEST PURE HITTER: SS/2B/OF Drew Robinson (4) used a loose lefthanded swing and strong hands to bat .286/.406/.357 in the Rookie-level Arizona League. » BEST POWER HITTER: 3B Mike Olt (1s), who owns the single-season (23) and career (44) home run records at Connecticut, smacked nine long balls at short-season Spokane. OF Jake Skole (1) and C Kellin Deglan (1) also have promising power. » FASTEST RUNNER: OF Ryan Strausborger (16) has a quicker first step, while OF Jordan Akins (3) is faster under way. They're both 65 runners on the 20-80 scouting scale. Strausborger stole 62 bases in 71 attempts between Indiana State and pro ball in 2010. » BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Skole and Deglan have the potential to be solid or better defenders at up-the-middle positions, and Olt is similarly gifted at third base.
PITCHERS
BEST FASTBALL: RHP Justin Grimm (5) can't always command his fastball, but he can throw it at 92-96 mph. RHP Luke Jackson (1s) could pass him in time and already touches 96 on occasion. » BEST SECONDARY PITCH: RHP Cody Buckel's (2) curveball, and he also has a promising changeup. RHP Nick Tepesch (14) has the best slider in this group.
ODDS AND ENDS
BEST PRO DEBUT: OF Jared Hoying (10) won Northwest League MVP honors by batting .325/.378/.543 with 10 homers and 20 steals at Spokane. LHP Chris Hanna (11) commands and hides his fringy stuff well, which is how he posted a 0.94 ERA and a 40-4 K-BB ratio in 29 innings in the AZL. » BEST ATHLETE: Skoke gave up a football scholarship to play defensive back at Georgia Tech. Fellow Georgia prep product Akins is a fast-twitch athlete. » MOST INTRIGUING BACKGROUND: OF Kendall Radcliffe (25) is the great nephew of Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, one of the best two-way players in ***** Leagues history. Unsigned 3B Garrett Buechele's (18) father Steve played in the majors and manages the Rangers' Double-A Frisco affiliate. SS/2B Jonathan Roof's (8) dad Gene and uncle Phil also played in the big leagues, and his brothers Eric and Shawn play in the Tigers system. » CLOSEST TO THE MAJORS: Olt, the only college player among Texas' seven picks in the first four rounds. LHP Jimmy Reyes (7) has the solid stuff to move fast in a relief role. » BEST LATE-ROUND PICK: Hoying has average speed and plus arm strength to go with his bat. OF Josh Richmond (12) and Tepesch had the physical talent to go in the first five rounds, but Richmond missed much of the spring with a hand injury and Tepesch was inconsistent. » THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY: Stanford-bound OF Brian Ragira (30) is a solid athlete with enough power potential to blossom into a first-rounder in 2013. RHP Trae Davis (29), who went to Baylor, has a 91-94 mph fastball and good feel for pitching.
By Jim Callis
October 22, 2010
E-mail Print
QUICK TAKE
New scouting director Kipp **** had three extra picks to play with, and the Rangers found the money to sign all of them. Texas loaded up on projectable high schoolers early and took some intriguing collegians in later rounds.
Bonus spending: $8.5 million
POSITION PLAYERS
BEST PURE HITTER: SS/2B/OF Drew Robinson (4) used a loose lefthanded swing and strong hands to bat .286/.406/.357 in the Rookie-level Arizona League. » BEST POWER HITTER: 3B Mike Olt (1s), who owns the single-season (23) and career (44) home run records at Connecticut, smacked nine long balls at short-season Spokane. OF Jake Skole (1) and C Kellin Deglan (1) also have promising power. » FASTEST RUNNER: OF Ryan Strausborger (16) has a quicker first step, while OF Jordan Akins (3) is faster under way. They're both 65 runners on the 20-80 scouting scale. Strausborger stole 62 bases in 71 attempts between Indiana State and pro ball in 2010. » BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Skole and Deglan have the potential to be solid or better defenders at up-the-middle positions, and Olt is similarly gifted at third base.
PITCHERS
BEST FASTBALL: RHP Justin Grimm (5) can't always command his fastball, but he can throw it at 92-96 mph. RHP Luke Jackson (1s) could pass him in time and already touches 96 on occasion. » BEST SECONDARY PITCH: RHP Cody Buckel's (2) curveball, and he also has a promising changeup. RHP Nick Tepesch (14) has the best slider in this group.
ODDS AND ENDS
BEST PRO DEBUT: OF Jared Hoying (10) won Northwest League MVP honors by batting .325/.378/.543 with 10 homers and 20 steals at Spokane. LHP Chris Hanna (11) commands and hides his fringy stuff well, which is how he posted a 0.94 ERA and a 40-4 K-BB ratio in 29 innings in the AZL. » BEST ATHLETE: Skoke gave up a football scholarship to play defensive back at Georgia Tech. Fellow Georgia prep product Akins is a fast-twitch athlete. » MOST INTRIGUING BACKGROUND: OF Kendall Radcliffe (25) is the great nephew of Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, one of the best two-way players in ***** Leagues history. Unsigned 3B Garrett Buechele's (18) father Steve played in the majors and manages the Rangers' Double-A Frisco affiliate. SS/2B Jonathan Roof's (8) dad Gene and uncle Phil also played in the big leagues, and his brothers Eric and Shawn play in the Tigers system. » CLOSEST TO THE MAJORS: Olt, the only college player among Texas' seven picks in the first four rounds. LHP Jimmy Reyes (7) has the solid stuff to move fast in a relief role. » BEST LATE-ROUND PICK: Hoying has average speed and plus arm strength to go with his bat. OF Josh Richmond (12) and Tepesch had the physical talent to go in the first five rounds, but Richmond missed much of the spring with a hand injury and Tepesch was inconsistent. » THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY: Stanford-bound OF Brian Ragira (30) is a solid athlete with enough power potential to blossom into a first-rounder in 2013. RHP Trae Davis (29), who went to Baylor, has a 91-94 mph fastball and good feel for pitching.
