Texas Rangers Connected to Prep Outfielder With Fourth Pick
The Texas Rangers have the fourth overall pick in July’s MLB Draft and ESPN recently mocked the first 11 picks.
The outlet also ranked the top 150 prospects across baseball.
ESPN highlighted Walker Jenkins, an outfielder who plays for South Brunswick High School in North Carolina. He’s committed to play college baseball at North Carolina.
He is the first prep prospect on ESPN’s top 150, behind three SEC players. He’s also connected the Rangers to at No. 4.
Per ESPN:
Texas has been rolling deep to scout Jenkins and (Franklin Community HS, Indiana, outfielder Max) Clark, and should get their pick of the prep players here. The buzz connecting them to Jenkins is louder, and he's also seen as a slightly better prospect.
Jenkins’ tools are already drawing comps to one of the best young players in the game, too.
One scouting director told me he thought Jenkins' hit/approach/power combo (I'll call them 60, 60, and 70, respectively) was the best among preps since Bobby Witt Jr. in the 2019 draft. He fits inside the top half of the minor league top 100 once he signs.
The Rangers’ No. 1 prospect right now is outfielder Evan Carter, who was also drafted out of high school in 2020 in the second round.
Other outfielders in the Rangers’ top 30 prospects include Dustin Harris, Aaron Zavala, Anthony Gutierrez, Yeison Morrobel and Alejandro Osuna.
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