The Biggest MLB Draft Busts in Texas Rangers History

Not every draft pick selected by the Texas Rangers worked out. But here are the ones that truly didn’t pan out.

The Texas Rangers logo. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So what amounts to an MLB draft bust? It’s an interesting question.

Is it a first-round pick that never panned out? Is it a first-round pick that got to the Majors but never fulfilled his potential? Is it a combination of the two? The Texas Rangers (and their predecessors) have been selecting players in the MLB draft since 1965. Every first-round pick selected had potential and had expectations. Only a few met those expectations.

Here are the five first-round picks in Rangers history that were busts, in chronological order.

David Clyde (1973)

Former Texas Ranger pitcher David Clyde. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Clyde is the only No. 1 overall pick selected by the Rangers. Taken out of Westchester High School in Houston, Texas, the expectations were so massive that Texas leadership at the time did the high schooler a disservice and had him make his first MLB start just one month after he graduated from high school. Being a bust isn’t entirely on the left-hander. But he never panned out.

He played in parts of three seasons for Texas, lost two years to arm injuries and pitched two more seasons for Cleveland. He finished his career 18-33 with a 4.63 ERA. His career was over by the time he was 24 years old. He is the cautionary tale of forcing a pitcher to move to the Majors too soon. Teh Rangers honored him in 2023 on the 50th anniversary of his first MLB start at Arlington Stadium.

Monty Farris (1988)

The Rangers took him No. 6 overall out of Oklahoma State, where he was an all-American and played in a double-play combination with Robin Ventura. In 69 games of college baseball, he batted .397 with 30 home runs, 114 RBI and an .860 slugging percentage. He was supposed to be the Rangers’ middle infielder of the future.

He played 86 games for Texas, slashing .223/.314/.335 with four home runs and 27 RBI. He landed in Miami the following year with the Florida Marlins and played in 18 more games. After that he never played in the Majors again. His career was over at 25 years old, though he played in the minors for two more years.

Donald Harris (1989)

One year after Farris, the Rangers selected the Texas Tech outfielder at No. 5 overall. He was immensely athletic. He played football and baseball at Texas Tech. The Dallas Cowboys drafted him as a safety. He chose baseball and he never panned out.

Texas had hoped that Harris would blend power and speed. He only played in 82 MLB games from 1991-93 as he slashed .205/.248/.282 with two home runs and 11 RBI. He was out of the Majors after 1993, but hung around in the minor leagues, independent leagues and the Mexican League until 2000.

Kasey Kiker (2006)

Like Clyde, he was selected out of high school in Russell County out of Seale, Ala. But at least Clyde made it. Kiker became one of those pitchers that just couldn’t figure it out professionally. Texas selected him No. 12 overall, paid him a $1.6 million bonus, and he never pitched above Double-A. He had a career record of 23-31 with a 4.53 ERA. The Rangers released him in 2011.

The good news? The Rangers didn’t pass on a true superstar in the first round after taking Kiker. The bad news? The two pitchers taken before Kiker were Tim Lincecum and Max Scherzer.  

Drew Meyer (2002)

Texas hoped it was getting a shortstop on a fast track to the Majors after it selected Meyer No. 10 overall out of South Carolina. It took him four years to get to the Major Leagues. But at least he got there.

He played in five games with 15 at-bats and had three hits. He played in minor league baseball after that until 2010. He was highly touted out of high school as a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers three years prior to the Rangers selecting him.

The part that stings? The Rangers passed on pitcher Cole Hamels, who was taken seven selections later by Philadelphia.