One Thing the Rangers Must Avoid in the MLB Draft

The Texas Rangers have a strong recent draft record. If they want to keep that going, they will have to avoid this mistake.

Texas Rangers designated hitter Wyatt Langford | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texas Rangers have an impressive record with their draft picks. Wyatt Langford, Josh Jung, Jack Leiter, and Evan Carter, just to name a few.

The success of their picks and player development has led to a competitive major league team and positioned them to contend for years.

In the 2026 MLB Draft, the Rangers will get to pick at No. 16 and this is another chance to strengthen their future.

In order to keep moving forward, they must avoid one common mistake.

They can’t draft from immediate need.

The Draft Isn’t Designed to Fill Today’s Holes

When a major league team is experiencing a void, it is easy to fall to the temptation to draft for immediate need. The Rangers can’t fall prey to this.

The best organizations don’t draft for problems they have today, they draft for the roster they hope to have in the future.

Draft picks really can’t be evaluated for years. It takes a lot of player development to reach the majors. During the development things can change. Players can move to different positions or not work out at all.

The same is true of the team in general. Needs change. Just because a team may need a catcher right now, the years it takes to develop one, that need may go away.

The Rangers Formula Works

Texas has earned the reputation for trusting their scouting development instead of chasing short-term solutions. So far, this has worked.

If we take a look at Wyatt Langford, he was selected fourth overall in 2023. The team already had plenty of promising outfielders in the organization when they picked him. The Rangers believed in him and picked the best player available at the time, disregarding position.

Langford debuted the following year and now has 291 hits, 47 home runs, 158 RBI and 47 stolen bases. His batting could be better but he holds a slash line of .251/.333/.435.

The same philosophy that brought them Langford, should continue in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Talent Always Wins

The Rangers just need to select the best player available at the time. Elite players always find a way to create opportunities for themselves. If Texas drafts another All-Star, there will be room on the roster, no matter the position.

No team should ever pass on superior talent for position. That kind of decision could haunt a team for years, and has.

The Rangers farm system has continued to produce high-end prospects. They have an opportunity to find another All-Star at No. 16.