Latest MLB Mock Draft Has Rangers Selecting Polished Prep Pitcher

The Texas Rangers haven’t taken a high school pitcher since 2018, but that could change next July in the MLB draft.

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There was a time the Texas Rangers spent several first-round picks on high school pitchers.

In a five-year span, the Rangers selected three high school pitchers in the first round. In 2014, it was Luis Ortiz, a right-hander from Sanger Union High School in Sanger, Calif. Two years later, it was left-hander Cole Ragans from North Florida Christian High School in Tallahassee, Fla. Then, in 2018, it was right-hander Cole Winn from Lutheran High School of Orange County from Orange, Calif.

Ragans and Winn both pitched for the Rangers. But it took some time, and if Texas goes this direction, it will likely take several years for that pitcher to be ready. Yet, Baseball America (subscription required) sees Texas taking a prep pitcher with their first-round pick in next July’s MLB draft, based on the site’s first mock draft of the cycle.

The selection is left-handed pitcher Carson Bolemon out of Southside Christian High School in Simpsonville, S.C.

About Carson Bolemon

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Baseball America wrote in its scouting report that Bolemon is among the elite tier of high school pitchers in the draft and considers him the most polished in the group. The scouts praised his repeatable delivery, his fastball which already hits 96 mph and emerging secondary pitches. The publication has him ranked as the No. 19 overall prospect in the draft.

Bolemon should be 19 years old by the time he’s selected. He’s already committed to play college baseball at Wake Forest. But first-round picks usually sign once selected. If he’s the pick, he would be the Rangers’ first prep pitcher in the first round since Winn.

Rangers Recent Drafts

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The Rangers took their first high school player in the first round since 2018 last July when they selected shortstop Gavin Fien out of Great Oak High School in Temecula, Calif. The last prep player drafted by Texas was current relief pitcher Cole Winn, a prep pitcher out of Lutheran High School in Orange, Calif.

In between, Texas had selected seven straight college players, including two in 2019 when they had a compensatory pick. All but two of them has played for the Rangers in the Majors, that being 2019 compensatory pick Davis Wendzel out of Baylor. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 2024 and has yet to play in the Majors.

Starting third baseman Josh Jung was selected in the first round in 2019, starting pitcher Jack Leiter was selected in 2021 and starting left fielder Wyatt Langford was selected in 2023. Kumar Rocker, the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2022, made his MLB debut in 2024 but struggled to remain part of the rotation in 2025. Infielder Justin Foscue, their 2020 first-round pick, has been up-and-down between the Majors and Triple-A.

Texas’ 2023 first-round pick, catcher Malcolm Moore out of Stanford, has struggled in the minors and was unable to capitalize on additional at-bats in the Arizona Fall League.