Alternative Way Rangers Could Have Won First Round of 2021 MLB Draft

The Texas Rangers selected Jack Leiter with their first-round pick in 2021. But a redraft from that year yielded a nice surprise.

A Texas Rangers cap and baseball mitt sit on the dugout steps during a game against the Athletics at Globe Life Field. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

When the Texas Rangers selected Jack Leiter No. 2 overall, they felt they were getting a polished collegiate pitcher who could help their rotation.

It took Leiter longer than expected to develop, but four years after his selection he’s emerging as a solid No. 3 option alongside Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. His spot in the rotation for 2026 is secure and Texas controls his rights for another five seasons.

But what if the Rangers hadn’t selected Leiter No. 2 overall. And what if they had the benefit of hindsight, as is knowing how the first-round picks would develop by the end of the 2025 season? Baseball America (subscription required) attempted the exercise recently, re-drafting the first round of the 2021 draft based on current performance.

Texas didn’t end up with Leiter. It ended up with an All-Star outfielder.

The Road Not Taken in the 2021 MLB Draft

Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

In the redraft, the Rangers ended up with James Wood, a young outfielder for the Washington Nationals who has already experienced plenty since his selection in the second round by the San Diego Padres.

He was part of the package that the Padres sent to the Nationals in 2022 to acquire slugger Juan Soto. Wood, along with several other players included in the trade, have reached the Majors with the Nats and are considered vital pieces of their rebuild.

Wood hit .256/.350/.475 with 31 home runs and 38 doubles last season, which marked his first selection as an All-Star. He also participated in the All-Star Game’s home run derby. For the Nats, it’s vital to keep him long-term. He’s entering his age 23 season and with his power and athleticism, he’s a star that can be built around.

It’s interesting to consider what might have happened had the Rangers selected Wood. He’s a left fielder who made his MLB debut in 2024. Would that have precluded the Rangers from taking Wyatt Langford No. 4 overall in 2023, who is now the Rangers’ starting left fielder? Or would Texas have selected him anyway and installed him in center field, thus cutting of the trajectory of Evan Carter? It’s an interesting thought exercise of the road not taken.

Given how hard it is to find solid starting pitching, Leiter was the pick and, after some bumps in the minor leagues, he had a breakthrough season in 2025. He went 10-10 with a 3.86 ERA in 29 starts, with 148 strikeouts and 67 walks in 151.2 innings. He finished seventh in American League rookie of the year voting and is on a trajectory that could make him the staff’s ace, eventually. Based on performance to this point, Leiter dropped to No. 28 and Tampa Bay in the redraft.

Leiter may have taken longer to get to the Majors than the Rangers would have like, but he’s turning into a draft pick that was worth the wait. Turns out Wood would have been as well.