Texas Rangers: Final Mock Drafts Point to Collegiate Bat in First Round

The 2020 MLB Draft gets under way in just a few short hours and with the final set of mocks out, who are the Texas Rangers expected to take in round one?

The final morning before the MLB Draft means draft sites and baseball experts around the baseball world dish out their last thoughts on how the MLB draft will play out. After many mock drafts thought the Texas Rangers would go with a pitcher in the first round, the latest projections hold a general consensus the Texas might look for a position player with the 14th overall pick.

Mock Draft Round Up

MLB.com Final Mock: C Patrick Bailey, North Carolina State

Both Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo have the Rangers picking up North Carolina State product Patrick Bailey at 14th overall. In earlier mocks, they both had Texas looking at LHP Garrett Crochet out of Tennessee who we snagged in our FanSided Mock Draft on Tuesday night but the pitcher is expected to be off the board before Texas gets to pick according to Callis and Mayo.

Baseball America Mock Draft 8.0: 1B Aaron Sabato, North Carolina

In their eighth mock for the 2020 MLB draft, the folks at Baseball America also have Texas going position player snagging offensive powerhouse Aaron Sabato from North Carolina in round one. They note that this was their pick in their 7.0 version as well and think the Rangers could go a number of directions when they’re on the board.

FanGraphs Mock Draft 2.0: SS Nick Loftin, Baylor

Staying on the infield, FanGraphs projects the Rangers taking shortstop Nick Loftin out of Baylor. They give some interesting info regarding this selection including a reference to sourced intel regarding the pick.

Keith Law’s Final Mock: 1B Aaron Sabato, North Carolina

Keith Law over at The Athletic joins Baseball America in projecting Aaron Sabato to the Texas Rangers at number 14. Sabato, as mentioned, is an offensive catalyst who would be a long-term, middle of the order bat if all pans out.

What To Expect

All three of these mocked players would fit a conservative draft style that Texas is reportedly planning. With all the concern regarding revenues, player compensation and draft slot value, Texas could be looking to get a bargain taking a player that will sign below slot. All of the mocks have been linked so make sure to check them out for a deeper dive on what each of these experts think about the Rangers pick. The two mocks that standout are FanGraphs and Keith Law’s with both seeming confident about their mocked pick.

Going with a gut pick, Aaron Sabato does seem like a likely option. He hit .343 as a freshman at North Carolina with impressive power racking up 18 homers and 63 total RBIs. He’s limited to first base defensively but the confidence that the bat will play well in a big league lineup could be too much to pass up.