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3 MLB Draft prospects that should be on the Rangers short list in 2025

The MLB Draft begins on July 24. Here are a few names the Rangers should remember come draft day.
ByStephen Perez|
2024 MLB Draft Presented by Nike
2024 MLB Draft Presented by Nike | Richard Rodriguez/GettyImages

The 2025 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft is slowly closing in and the Texas Rangers are no doubt paying attention to this week's NCAA baseball conference tournaments to find out who will be their next first round selection.

With the #12 pick this summer, the Rangers will have a selection of top quality prospects from polished collegiate careers to 17-year-old high schools stars ready to take off in professional baseball.

This will be an important selection for the Rangers as they continue to build a young core for the future. In that mind, here are three prospects Texas should have on their first-round shortlist.

3 MLB Draft prospects that should be on Rangers short list for first round pick in July

Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M

The Aggie outfielder bursts onto the scene as a freshman in 2023, setting a program record for most home runs by a freshman with 21 and won SEC Freshman of the Year. In 2024, he somehow one-upped that performance by hitting .305 with 29 home runs, 78 RBIs and a 1.071 OPS.

A down junior season has tanked his draft spot a bit but MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo still have the 21-year-old going top 10 on July 24.

LaViolette has the potential to be a top 5 pick so the chances he is available when it comes time for the Rangers to pick are close to zero. But what a nice add that would be to a future outfield trio of Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter.

Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest

Houston is a three-year veteran of the Demon Deacons ballclub, having played 174 games over the course of his college career. In that time, the shortstop has hit .298 with 24 home runs, 118 runs driven in and scored over 50 runs in the previous two seasons.

What makes him intriguing for the potential #12 spot for the Rangers is everyone's ability in his shortstop skill. While the bat is something that has dipped in conference play this year, his defense and range at short is not in question at all.

The future for the Rangers in the middle infield is surprisingly uncertain, with the struggles of Marcus Semien and injuries to Corey Seager mixed with the meteoric rise of Sebastian Walcott, the Rangers could be looking for their future duo.

Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma

You can never go wrong with a top college pitching talent for your first-round pick and by all accounts Witherspoon seems to be the best arm targeted around that #12 draft spot.

The six-foot-two Sooner put up impressive regular season numbers in his junior season with a 9-3 record, 2.48 ERA and 112 strikeouts through 83 1/3 innings. Perhaps the most impressive of his season has been his command, allowing only 20 walks this season.

Witherspoon is currently projected to be picked by the Athletics at #11 by MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, one spot ahead of the Rangers in the first round. Although they might go with a position player, if they decided to go the pitching route, Witherspoon would be a great option.

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