Texas Rangers 2023 MLB Draft Review
See Also: 2023 MLB Draft Database
Draft Theme: Wyatt Langford.
This draft was always going to be heavily weighted towards who the Rangers picked at No. 4, since they didn’t have another pick until the fourth round. They secured the No. 3 player in the class, who some scouts believe is the equivalent or superior prospect to No. 1 OF Dylan Crews. In Langford, Texas has a premium power hitter with a proven righthanded bat in the SEC against the best college arms in baseball.
Most Interesting Day 2 Pick: RHP Caden Scarborough, 6th round
Scarborough is a massively projectable and lean righthander with a 6-foot-5, 190-pound frame. He was largely an under-the-rader name for much of the scouting industry this spring and wasn’t at many high-profile national showcase events during the 2022 summer either. He threw his fastball in the mid-to-upper 80s last fall, but this spring has pushed it up to the 89-91 mph range at times, with a downer curveball that has impressive spin and finish. Scarborough is a Dallas Baptist commit.
Most Interesting Day 3 Pick: RHP William Privette, 13th round
Privette started a handful of games as a freshman in 2021, but has mostly been used out of the bullpen in his college career, including a short stint in the Cape Cod League in 2022 when he posted a 1.74 ERA over 10.1 innings for Cotuit. In 2023, Privette was lights out for the College of Charleston. He posted a 2.36 ERA over 42 innings as the team’s closer, with a career-high 35.2% strikeout rate, though his 12.1% walk rate was nearly double the 6.5% walk rate he managed in 2022. Privette pitches heavily off a fastball that misses tons of bats. He averaged 92 mph with the pitch and has been up to 95, but he generated a 37% miss rate with the pitch thanks to excellent riding life and a slightly lower release height. Privette pitched off the fastball at around a 90% clip in 2023, and his mid-80s slider and mid-80s changeup receive only lukewarm grades from scouts. Privette has an odd operation with a bit of stiffness throughout his arm stroke and a plunging action in the back of his motion, and is a straight-reliever prospect at the next level who might live and die with his fastball, barring an improvement with his secondaries. That said, his fastball is excellent and he fits in the 8-12 round range because of it.
