Round 2, Pick 83: Jamie Jarmon, CF, Indian River HS (Delaware), Throws Right, Hits Right

Baseball America Rank: 133

MLB.com:

This athletic football star won Delaware Player of the Year but his future lies in baseball. Jarmon has great speed in the outfield to go along with a great arm that could profile in center or right field. Jarmon generates great bat speed and has enough power to profile as a corner outfielder in the big leagues. He is somewhat raw and does not have the greatest instincts, especially on the base paths, but a team that thinks he can stay in center or add more power to his game will take him in the early going.

Additional report from Baseball Prospect Nation:

Outfielder Jamie Jarmon from Indian River High School (DE) has been a divisive player among scouts this spring. Several scouts I have spoken with dubbed him one of the best athletes on the east coast this spring, while others felt he looked good in a uniform but the athleticism didn’t always show on the field.

“He looks really good in his uniform,” said a veteran area scout. “He looks great coming off the bus, but he’s not a superstar athlete for me.”

Committed to South Carolina, Jarmon could be a difficult player to sign given the new restrictions in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Because of the difference of opinion over just how much of an impact athlete he is, Jarmon falls short of earning first round grades with his raw tools and fits more in the fourth to sixth round range. That could mean teams would have to go over-slot with their signing bonus to pull him away from his commitment to USC.

Given the questions surrounding Jarmon’s raw hitting ability and general feel for the game, teams could shy away from going hard after him and he could end up playing in the SEC next year. If a team that believes in his impact athleticism has an indication that they can get the deal done for around MLB’s recommended slot, then he could go in the upper end of that fourth to sixth round range and be playing games in the complex leagues by mid-July.

Sounds pretty similar (with a lower upside) to Lewis Brinson. The Rangers seem to be picking best available no matter who comes up – what a team like the Rangers should be doing.

Round 2, Pick 93: Nick Williams, CF, Galveston Ball HS (Texas), Throws Left, Hits Left

Baseball America Rank: 100

MLB.com:

Every Draft class has a number of raw, toolsy high school players, the high-risk, high-reward types that some teams love. Williams fits that mold perfectly.The Texas prepster reminds some of a less-refined Ken Griffey Jr., and a team taking him can only hope he develops as such. Williams has very good raw power, especially to his pull side, and a short swing could mean some good overall hitting skills. A tremendous athlete, Williams has excellent speed that should play once he learns more about baserunning.Defensively, he has a strong arm — as pitcher, he’s touched 94 mph — but he doesn’t throw well yet from the outfield. The raw tools are all there; it will take a team willing to be patient to see them turn into performance. But it could be well worth the wait.

From Baseball Prospect Nation:

“Can dominate Texas high school competition with raw athleticism and explosiveness.  Excellent workout and showcase performer that can put on a show at times. Committed to Texas.”

Stop me if you’ve heard “raw, toosly high school player” when talking about a Rangers draft pick.

Round 3, Pick 123: Patrick Cantwell, C, SUNY Stony Brook, Hits Right, Throws Right

Baseball America Rank: N/A

After choosing all-high school so far, the Rangers opt for a college senior, presumably to save some slot money. Cantwell hit.312 with 32 RBIs. It was the third consecutive year Cantwell hit above .300,and two years ago he hit .361.

The Rest

Notable is the 15th round selection of Jameis Winston who has a scholarship to Florida State to play quarterback and at this point is unlikely to sign but stranger things have happened. Sam Stafford was a 2nd round pick but is coming off of an injury so it will be interesting to see if he will recover.

Lewis Brinson (Coral Springs HS, Florida) has drawn comparisons to 2nd overall pick Byron Buxton and even beat him in a home run derby last year. He is commited to the University of Florida but all signs point to the 18 year old signing professionally. Brinson is a toolsy outfielder and is often compared to Cameron Maybin.

Brinson is 6’4, 185 and his long frame is expected to be able to play center field. His bat is the question mark but had a successful high school season with a .385 average, 4 HR and 25 RBI.

Here is his scouting report from MLB.com

Raw, toolsy high school outfielders are always popular come Draft time and if his summer performance is any indication, Brinson has the chance to be one of the best in this category.Tall, lanky and athletic, he reminds some of Dexter Fowler or Cameron Maybin. Brinson has good bat speed and can spray line drives gap-to-gap. There’s leverage in his swing with good raw power, which could develop into above-average pop in the future. He’s an easily above-average runner, which should play well on both sides of the ball. He makes the plays in the outfield and has a strong arm.More than anything, Brinson is still raw. But as he showed over the summer, the more he plays against good competition, the better he gets. That bodes well for his future and there are sure to be many teams interested in his very full toolbox.

39th pick: 3B Joey Gallo, Bishop Gorman HS, Nevada

Gallo is a left-handed high-school hitter who many had going in the late 1st round, so this is maybe a little later than many expected him to go. The Rangers are perhaps surprising some people going back-to-back hitters with some upside pitchers still on the board.

Here is MLB.com’s scouting report.

Big and strong, Gallo pitches and hits in high school, but it’s likely his power bat that will get him drafted in June.Gallo is an aggressive hitter with plus raw power. When he gets squared up, he can hit the ball out anywhere. He does have a big swing and there is some concern about him making consistent contact. He’s played some third and first, with most feeling he’ll end up at the latter. As a pitcher, he has more than enough arm strength for the position and should be fine defensively all-around. He is a below-average runner.In the end, though, it’s the power that intrigues scouts. A team that thinks he’ll hit enough to tap into it will be tempted to take him early.

53rd pick: RHP Collin Wiles, Blue Valley West HS, Kansas

This is a little bit off the board and you can’t help but think they were going to go with Matt Smolar before the Blue Jays picked him at 50. Wiles was listed as Baseball America’s #268 prospect prior to the draft. He is committed to Vanderbilt and BA said that he isn’t likely to be signed away from it prior to the draft. Obviously the Rangers believe they will be able to take a gamble they will sign him and if not, they get a similar pick in next year’s (stronger) draft.

Jun 28, 2008; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington (left) talks with general manager Jon Daniels before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at The Rangers Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE

These should be taken with a very big grain of salt because it’s hard enough to pick what one team will do in a mock draft, let alone the 28 teams that select before Texas. The Rangers are in a situation where they can gamble on upside. They already have one of the best farm systems in the league and they have very little needs on the immediate side of things as well but we all know the MLB draft is not a draft-for-current-need draft like the NFL or NBA drafts are. Most players selected today are at least two-to-three years away with certain exceptions of course.

Robbie Knopf – Seedlings to Stars

The selection: D.J. Davis, OF, Stone High School, MS

The reason:  “I see the Rangers taking the risk on Davis. Power is something the Rangers have plenty of while Davis’ speed is something you don’t find too often.”

Kevin Goldstein – Baseball Prospectus

The selection: Matt Smoral, LHP, Solon HS (OH)

The reason: “Nobody has gotten a good look at him this year, which has scared many teams off, but six-foot-seven lefties who can touch 95 mph don’t exactly grow on trees.”

Jim Callis – Baseball America

The selection: Matt Smoral, LHP, Solon HS (OH)

The reason: “Texas has been mentioned as much as anyone on Ohio high school lefthander Matt Smoral, a likely mid-first-rounder before he broke a bone in his foot and missed most of the year.”

Jonathan Mayo – MLB.com

The selection: Lucas Sims, RHP, Brookwood HS (Ga.)

The reason: “Signs seem to point to a high schooler, with a hitter like Stryker Trahan being a possibility. But with Sims still on the board, they may not let him pass by.”

Matt Garrioch – Minor League Ball

The selection: Corey Seager, 3B, North Carolina HS

The reason: “Another wild card but Seager is a big potential bat that could fit.”

John Sickels – Minor League Ball

The selection: J.O. Berrios, RHP, Puerto Rico HS

The reason: “The Rangers do some unconventional things at times. Adding some high-upside pitching seems like a good plan, and [Berrios] has as much upside as any of the more-heralded high school arms still on the board.”

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Those are the rumblings around the Rangers at #29. We will know closer to 9 CST who the Rangers will select and you can expect a full scouting report shortly after the pick is named.