Why July 2021 is the most important month for the Texas Rangers in years

No, the Texas Rangers are not preparing to make a run at a World Series this month. But that doesn’t make July 2021 any less relevant for this franchise.

If anything, this upcoming month expects to be the most consequential for the Rangers in years.

So much rides on how the Texas front office decides to grapple with various action items, including many crucial decisions that will impact the future of the organization and the direction of an ongoing rebuild.

No pressure or anything, but new GM Chris Young has his work cut out for him in the most critical month as Rangers’ GM since he was first onboarded last winter. Here’s what makes July 2021 so very paramount.

The 2021 MLB Draft

The Texas Rangers have a chance to draft a franchise-altering talent with the No. 2 pick.

We’ll go in chronological order, starting with the 2021 MLB Draft, which takes place Sunday night July 11.

As many Rangers fans know quite well, Texas has the No. 2 overall pick for the first time since 1974, which is a HUGE deal. It means they have a chance to select a player who can make close to an immediate impact, in addition to becoming a potential franchise cornerstone.

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Someone like a Jack Leiter, Marcelo Mayer, Kumar Rocker or Jordan Lawlar, for example.

Leiter is all the buzz among Texas Rangers fans, and he should be the pick if available on draft night. He dominated in his final college start for Vanderbilt and looks primed to be a future big league ace.

Selecting Leiter or one of the other premier names listed above will provide a major boost to a farm system that, while underrated, lacks tons of high-end talent. This year’s MLB draft has a chance to change that and give the Rangers an influx of young, high-end talent they can really be excited about.

GM Chris Young, Jon Daniels and the Texas front office are all faced with a massive decision on draft day. Let’s hope they can execute said decision properly. Selecting from premier talents like these isn’t an opportunity that comes around frequently, you know.

The 2021 All Star and Futures Games

Adolis Garcia and Kyle Gibson are likely to represent the Texas Rangers in the 2021 All Star Game, but all eyes are on pitchers Cole Winn and Cole Ragans in the futures game.

With the news that prospect pitchers Cole Winn and Cole Ragans will represent the Texas Rangers in the 2021 Futures Game at Coors Field in Colorado, it’s time to get excited about the future of this team.

Winn has dominated AA Frisco as Texas’ No. 3 prospect and looks to be moving towards an MLB debut in 2022. Ragans is a less heralded but still impressive prospect on the comeback trail, throwing really well at A Hickory this minor league season.

Both of these pitchers will have an opportunity to showcase their stuff on a national stage at the Futures game in Colorado. In fact, the Rangers are the only team in the AL to have two of their pitchers selected for the contest, which is no small feat.

It’s about time Texas’ farm system added some respect to its name, and Winn and Ragans will get a chance to show the baseball world how special they are and how important they both will be in resurrecting a rebuilding organization.