Texas Rangers 2015 MLB Draft Preview

Jun 14, 2014; Omaha, NE, USA; Louisville Cardinals pitcher Kyle Funkhouser (16) pitches against the Vanderbilt Commodores during game two of the 2014 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

With the fourth overall pick, Kiley McDaniel selects starting pitcher Kyle Funkhouser of Louisville for the Rangers. With a string of injuries to starting pitchers and top prospects Jake Thompson and Chi Chi Gonzalez potentially a year away from contributing, the Rangers could look to add a college arm. So far this season for the Cardinals, Funkhouser has a 7-4 record with a 2.99 ERA in 93.1 innings. A major concern for Funkhouser that has affected his draft stock has been high walk rate he has had during this three years at Louisville. Funkhouser has a career 4.37 BB/9 over 268 innings but has shown improvement with a 3.86 BB/9 this season although that is still higher than you would like to see. Kiley adds that the Rangers have “checked in on [Tyler] Stephenson recently” and are targeting potential hitters such as outfielders Chad Smith and Daz Cameron.

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Funkhouser would be a great pickup at fourth overall if for no reason other than who wouldn’t want a pitcher with a last name Funkhouser in the starting rotation? While the control seems to be an issue, the improvement he had this year in reducing walks leads me to believe that this is a fixable issue that the Texas staff can work on with him to get his BB/9 well below his 3.86 mark. A future rotation featuring Funkhouser, Thompson, and Gonzalez could prove to be one of the better team rotations in the past few years if they are able to stay healthy.

Check out the rest of McDaniel’s mock draft here.

Next: John Manuel Mock Draft

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