Texas Rangers 2023 MLB Draft Report Card

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Revisiting the 2023 Rangers MLB Draft class after the conclusion of the minor league season.

Best Pure Hitter: Get ready to hear outfielder Wyatt Langford’s (1) name a lot because Texas had one of the most top-heavy drafts in baseball by virtue of owning the fourth overall pick and also not having a second or third round selection. Langford is the clear best pure hitter of this draft class, pushed to Triple-A in his pro debut and slashed .360/.480/.677 in 44 games across four levels.

Best Power Hitter: Langford (1) was one of the best power hitters in college baseball and he creates massive torque with his powerful righthanded swing. He led all draftees with 10 home runs in his debut, has 70-grade raw power and had a 106.8-mph 90th percentile exit velocity in his debut.

Fastest Runner: Langford (1) does not regularly turn in 70-grade run times, but he has done so occasionally and is a powerful runner who gets to plus speed underway.

Best Defensive Player: Catcher Julian Brock (8) threw out 27% of base runners during the spring with Louisiana-Lafayette and has above-average arm strength with a fast exchange and clean footwork. He folds up well behind the plate and earns positive reviews for both his blocking and receiving.

Best Fastball: Righthander Skylar Hales (4) has a huge fastball that sits in the 94-97 mph range. He topped out at 97 in his pro debut but he has been up to 100 mph with the pitch, which also has above-average life. Righthander Izack Tiger (7) has a quality fastball as well. His sits in the mid 90s and also has good life up in the zone.

Best Secondary Pitch: Righthander Paul Bonzagni (12) has a sharp breaking ball in the low 80s that flashed impressive two-plane break and generated a number of ugly swings out of the zone and in the dirt in his pro debut.

Best Pro Debut: Langford (1) had one of the best debuts of any player in the 2023 draft class and after reaching Triple-A is essentially already knocking on the door of the big leagues. If there was any concern at all that his power would translate to wood… well, there’s not anymore.

Best Athlete: Langford’s (1) combination of power and speed makes him the choice here. His ability to generate force is unique, and he also has a background as a high school catcher, though it doesn’t seem like that will be a part of his game any longer.

Most Intriguing Background: Tiger (7) took a year off in college and is older for a prominent Juco draftee. He’ll already be in his age-23 season in 2024, but he had an excellent spring and a solid turn in the Cape Cod League before the draft that impressed a number of scouts.

Closest To The Majors: Langford (1) is the most advanced physically, tools wise and by level in this class. Since the Rangers are already a World Series contender, there’s no real incentive to be patient with Langford in 2024 either.

Best Day Three Pick (Or NDFA): The biggest signee the Rangers had on day three was outfielder Max Martin (11) who signed for $250,000 in the 11th round. He slashed .243/.378/.378 in a brief, 10-game pro debut in the Arizona Complex League and got time at all three outfield positions.