Rangers Getting Intriguing Early Returns from Cheap Pitching Prospect

This Texas Rangers prospect has some development to do to reach the Majors, but his early returns in the low minors that hint at his effectiveness.

A Texas Rangers cap and baseball mitt. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

It’s not every day Major League teams draft a pitcher already suited to be a reliever. In many cases a starting pitcher is converted to a reliever for various reasons.

For a pitcher like J.D. McReynolds, he came to the Texas Rangers already suited for the job, thanks to a standout college career. But that career was at Division II Central Missouri, and that’s part of the reason why he was drafted in the 10th round of last year’s MLB draft and why he’s currently at Class-A Hickory. Texas sees him as a pitcher that needs more development.

So far, so good for the 23-year-old.

J.D. McReynolds’ Early Returns

Baseball America (subscription required) highlighted five pitchers drafted last year that it considers under-the-radar but putting up impressive numbers in April. McReynolds made the list and the publication pointed out that of the five pitchers it selected he signed for the cheapest — just a $20,000 signing bonus.

He’s pitched in four games for Hickory so far and has a 1-0 record and three saves in three chances. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in 5.1 innings. He’s allowed just one hit, with 11 strikeouts and two walks. Batters are hitting just .059 against him. McReynolds has quickly emerged as a shutdown ninth inning pitcher for the Crawdads.

Texas doesn’t have much of that in the pipeline, organizationally speaking. The Rangers have also had trouble developing a home-grown closer the past several years and have rolled the dice signing veteran free agents to handle the role. McReynolds could be the pitcher that could break that chain.

While his fastball only runs about 90 to 92 mph, Baseball America’s Ian Cundall wrote glowingly about McReynolds’ change-up, which is the pitch that is getting batters out so far. It has a 56% whiff rate.

“McReynolds’ changeup looks like a fastball until late, when it just falls off the table,” Cundall wrote. “He throws it around 80 mph, and it routinely has 10-plus mph of separation off his fastball. His confidence in the pitch stands out, as well. He will use it in any count and against hitters from both sides of the plate.”

McReynolds posted incredible career numbers at Central Missouri, primarily as a reliever. He went 21-2 in 73 games over a four-year career with a 1.78 ERA. He also had 14 career saves. He struck out 200 and walked 56 in 121.1 innings.

He was named a first-team National College Baseball Writers’ Association all-America selection and a second-team ABCA/Rawlings all-America selection. He was named an all-American four times during his college career.