Inside The Rangers

Rangers Take Swings On High-Potential Players in Day 1 of 2025 MLB Draft

The Texas Rangers added a couple of high-potential players with their first three picks in the 2025 MLB draft.
Dylan Sanders|
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The Texas Rangers had a clear vision in the 2025 MLB draft, as they went potential-first with their first three selections.

This was a different approach from what they have done in the past when they really focused on quick turnaround players over the past few years.

Wyatt Langford, Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter are all first-round picks since 2021 who have already debuted in The Show.

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The guys they took this year will take longer to make it to the bigs, but the wait could be worth it.

Here is who the Rangers selected on Day 1 of the 2025 MLB draft.

No. 12 - Gavin Fien, California (HS)

Fien is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound high schooler who has a fast swing and strong arm. He checks about every physical box a team could ask for.

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He could end up at any of the four corners of the field and has the potential to become the best slugger in this entire draft class.

He was a bit inconsistent at times, but it is easy to look past that when glancing at his profile as a whole.

No. 52 - AJ Russell, Tennessee

This could end up as the steal of the draft if Russell can stay healthy.

He had a 0.89 ERA with a 0.527 WHIP and 47 strikeouts in 30.1 innings of work as a freshman, but an elbow surgery cost him most of 2023 and he ended up pitching just 70 innings in college.

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His fastball is as good as any single pitch in the class. If he doesn't end up becoming a starter, he has star closer stuff.

No. 84 - Josh Owens, Tennessee (HS)

Anytime a high schooler is both a shortstop and a pitcher, one thing is clear: he is a great athlete.

That certainly fits for Owens, who has a 70-grade run tool from MLB Pipeline.

The biggest ceiling for him seems to be in the field, where he can display both his speed and arm. He needs to work on his bat skills and getting stronger, but he has a high ceiling.

For more Rangers news, head over to Rangers On SI.

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Dylan Sanders
DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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