Re-Ranking the Last 10 First-Round Picks by the Rangers

How much have the Texas Rangers gotten right and wrong with their first-round picks of the past 10 years? Here’s a dive into how they should be ranked.

Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texas Rangers have selected 12 players in the first round, or the compensatory round between the first and second rounds, since 2016.

Some have panned out. Some have panned out with the Rangers, and some have panned out in other places. A couple never played a Major League game. Some have yet to get close to having the chance.

The draft is volatile and player development in baseball is not linear. But there are some things that can be determine after the passage of time based on how they play.

Going back to the 2016 MLB Draft, here is how each Rangers first-round pick should be re-ranked, going from worst to best.

Chris Seise (No. 29 overall, 2017)

The Rangers got two picks that year and he’s an easy choice to start the list because he never made it. He was in the Rangers’ system from 2017-23 and never played in the Majors, as he slashed .242/.304/.363 with 19 home runs and 31 RBI. The prep shortstop never played higher than Double-A.

Davis Wendzel (No. 41 overall, 2019)

Texas Rangers infielder Davis Wendzel. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Wendzel finally got his shot with the Rangers in 2024 and played in 27 MLB games with a slash of .128/.163/.234 with a home run and two RBI. He is with the Pirates now and played two games this season. Closing in on 30 years old he’s great minor league depth but nothing more. In 524 minor leagues game he’s slashed .237/.342/.431 with 87 home runs and 293 RBI.

Bubba Thompson (No. 26, 2017)

A two-sport star in high school who opted to play baseball, the Rangers had hoped he would be their speedy center fielder of the future. That never panned out. He made his debut in 2022 and spent part of the 2024 season with Cincinnati. He slashed .232/.273/.295 with a home run and 13 RBI in 109 MLB games. He went back to college football in 2025.

Gavin Fien (No. 12 overall, 2025)

Texas Rangers first round draft pick Gavin Fien. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s hard to determine where to rank Fien because he was selected last year but traded to the Washington Nationals in the MacKenzie Gore deal. Because the former prep star has years to develop, it’s safe to put him in front of Seise and Wendzel. He’s still at Class A Fredericksburg with the Nationals. He has enough promise to settle in here.

Malcolm Moore (No. 30 overall, 2024)

Moore is the last of these players that hasn’t played a Major League game. Had this list been put together a year ago he would be closer to Wendzel and Seise. But he’s broken out this season, his third in the minor leagues, and been promoted to Double-A Frisco. He’s starting to look like the catcher of the future that the Rangers drafted out of Stanford. But he’s at least a year away from being a potential Major League player.

Justin Foscue (No. 14 overall, 2020)

Texas Rangers second baseman Justin Foscue. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Up until this season it was unfulfilled talent and opportunity. But he’s earned a spot with his play this season — a slash of .269/.343/.495 with five home runs and 15 RBI. He’s been a consistently good play against left-handed pitching. It’s starting to look like a pick the Rangers got right.

Cole Winn (No. 15 overall, 2018)

Winn had to be converted from a starter to a reliever to get to the Majors, but he’s turned into a solid middle-inning arm. He’s 3-4 with a 4.45 ERA in 78 MLB games. But he was supposed to be a starting pitcher. The stuff just never panned out.

Kumar Rocker (No. 3 overall, 2022)

Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rocker has had his moments and Tommy John surgery in 2023 curtailed his development. Right now, he’s trying to harness his stuff and gain consistency. He’s 6-14 with a 4.68 ERA as a Major League pitcher. When he’s good, he’s really good. But he hasn’t yet figured out how to work through it when he isn’t good.

Cole Ragans (No. 30 overall, 2016)

Ragans was the piece the Rangers gave up to acquired reliever Aroldis Chapman and that helped win a World Series, so no buyer’s remorse there. Ragans turned into a nice starter for the Royals and he’s 22-24 with a 3.76 ERA in 91 MLB games. But he’s undergoing this third elbow surgery and that takes some of the luster off this pick.  

Jack Leiter (No. 2 overall, 2021)

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Rangers thought Leiter would get to the Majors quick. It took him until 2024 with his walk issues. Even with a 13-20 record and a 4.95 ERA, there is no doubt now that he can pitch at this level. But he’s on the shelf due to ankle surgery. When he returns, the belief is he’ll return to being the pitcher that got rookie of the year votes in 2025.

Wyatt Langford (No. 4 overall, 2023)

He has the chance to be a great player. But the breakout season some had hoped he would have in 2026 has been slowed by injuries. Still, he has a career slash of .251/.333/.434 with 46 home runs and 156 RBI. He can be a great everyday player. But the persistent hamstring injuries the last three years are concerning.

Josh Jung (No. 9 overall, 2019)

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jung doesn’t have persistent injuries — he has major injuries. Which is its own issue. But this year is an example of his development as a player and his production when healthy. This season he’s slashed .297/.362/.449 with nine home runs and 34 RBI. He’s a lifetime .264 hitter and even with his slump last season he batted .251. He’s the Rangers’ best first-round pick in the last 10 years.