Texas Rangers 2015 MLB Draft Updated Mock Drafts

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May 17, 2015; Frisco, Tx, USA; Frisco RoughRiders third baseman Joey Gallo (23) bats in the ninth inning against the Corpus Christi Hooks at Dr. Pepper Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

With just about a week to go, let’s take a look at the most recent mock drafts from around the web. Since the last Texas Rangers MLB Draft Preview, the team has gone on a seven game winning streak and have pulled to within five games of the division lead. Like the team itself, the draft boards have changed since that time enough that the two pitchers featured in the previous article have fallen several spots. Notably, Kyle Funkhouser is in the middle of a free fall and may have fallen out of the first round.

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The Texas Rangers are an interesting team for many doing a mock draft this week. The team has a win now mentality but the struggles the team had in the beginning of the season made many question whether that would continue or if they would look to the future. Check back in the upcoming weeks to see a preview of the July 2nd International prospects that the Rangers could look to sign to help bolster the farm system.

The first draft preview highlighted two college pitchers that could contribute sooner rather than later. While position needs do not typically factor in a draft decision, the recent success of Nick Martinez and Chi Chi Gonzalez plus the upcoming Jake Thompson, the Rangers may look to add farm system depth with a positional player.

This preview we are going to to look again at the preview from Kiley McDaniel at Fangraphs and John Manuel at Baseball America but additionally will look at Jonathan Mayo from MLB.com. Let’s start with Kiley’s draft.

Next: Kiley McDaniel Mock Draft

With the fourth pick, Kiley selects the junior shortstop Alex Bregman from Louisiana State University. Bregman is hitting .318/.414/.548 with nine home runs and 47 RBI in 239 at-bats this season for one of the nation’s best teams. His stats are similar to his 2014 hitting line of .316/.397/.455 with six home runs and 47 RBI in 244 at bats. He has 34 extra base hits compared to just 22 in 2014 which is likely a combination of the new baseball used in college baseball as well as increased strength as he has gotten older. More impressive is that he has struck out just 20 times in his 239 at-bats while he has walked 36 times.Defensively, Bregman has made two less errors this year and has increased his fielding percentage from .966 to .976 this season.

I’m told Daniels has met with Bregman and, if the rumors are to be believed, he is the guy they want here. -Kiley McDaniel

Overall, Bregman follows the same line of thought as the college pitchers featured that he will be ready quickly. With the struggles the Rangers have had up the middle, Bregman will be able to complete sooner rather than later and could free up some talent such as Jurickson Profar or Elvis Andrus for a trade. As a junior, Bregman has one more season of eligibility if he wants to make another run towards the College World Series.

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

Next: John Manuel Mock Draft

With the fourth pick, Manuel selects shortstop Brendan Rodgers. According to MaxPreps, Rodgers is hitting .360/.457/.786 with eight home runs in 25 games after a junior season in which he hit .397/.488/.823 with eight home runs in 22 games. In this mock, Rodgers is the first high school player off the board and would be a great fit for the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers have shown they can develop middle infielders and Rodgers has potential to be a solid player. With the draft this year being considered a weaker class, there are many potential ways that the top three picks could play out. With Dansby Swanson the likely number one overall pick, it is likely that one of Rodgers or Bregman would be available for the Rangers and I believe they would be happy with either one of them. Rodgers is currently committed to Florida State.

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

Next: Jonathan Mayo Mock Draft

With the fourth pick, Mayo goes a different route than the first two and takes the outfielder Daz Cameron. According to MaxPreps, Cameron is hitting .455/.569/.922 in his senior season which is an improvement over his still successful .390/.523/.695 junior season. Cameron has also displayed his speed with 17 stolen bases in just 25 games and helped lead his team to a 20-5 record.

Cameron is the son of former major leaguer Mike Cameron and like Rodgers, is a high school player who could take more seasoning to reach the majors. With the current makeup of the Texas outfield, players like Josh Hamilton and Shin-Soo Choo could be on their way out and allow Cameron to slide into a corner outfield spot. Cameron is also currently committed to Florida State.

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

Next: Final Thoughts

Both Manuel and McDaniel address a need of the future as the Rangers have struggled to find a second baseman since they traded away Ian Kinsler. With Rougned Odor struggling and Andrus a potential trade piece, the Rangers need to stock all the middle infielders that they can. While Rodgers may have a higher ceiling, Bregman offers is a high floor player that has shown he can hit at a high level in a good conference. Bregman will be ready sooner than Rodgers which may be more appealing to a team with an older core of players. Of the two, I would take Rodgers if he falls to fourth overall but Bregman has a higher chance of making it to the Rangers.

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With Mayo’s pick of Cameron, I would like the pick if Bregman and Rodgers are off the board but I would not take him over either of the other two. I could still see the Rangers taking Dillon Tate from UC Santa Barbara. If all four of these options are available for the fourth pick, I would take Brendan Rodgers and let this Rangers coaching staff coach him up like they have with several others before him. With Cameron and Rodgers being high school players and Tate and Bregman being juniors, all four would have the option to turn down a Rangers offer if they do not offer the money they want.

With their second round pick, the Rangers could get end up with one of the injured pitchers like Mike Matuella who is dealing with an injury and would require rehab before playing with the team.

The 2015 MLB Draft begins June 8, who do you want the Rangers to draft?

Next: Texas Rangers Call Up Top Prospect Joey Gallo

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