Angels' gamble lets top high school arm fall into Rangers' lap in 2026 MLB Draft

The Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels both selected high schoolers in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft. The Angels had the No. 12 overall pick, and the Rangers had the No. 16 pick. Yet, Texas appears to have selected the better prospect between the two division rivals.

The Angels drafted outfielder/LHP Jared Grindlinger, MLB Pipeline's No. 16 overall prospect, out of Hungton Beach High School in California. Grindlinger pitched and played outfield in high school, but Los Angeles decided it's going to develop him as a hitter, at least for now.

Meanwhile, the Rangers drafted left-hander Gio Rojas, MLB Pipeline's No. 8 overall prospect, out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. MLB Pipeline has Rojas as the best high school arm in the draft, and the second-best pitcher behind right-hander Jackson Flora, whom the San Francisco Giants drafted No. 4 overall out of UC Santa Barbara.

The Athletic's Keith Law had the Rangers drafting Grindlinger in his second mock draft roughly a month ago. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report projected the Angels to select Rojas with their first-round pick.

Rangers should be happy with Gio Rojas, even though they missed out on Jared Grindlinger

There's much to like about both Grindlinger and Rojas. Grindlinger was originally part of the 2027 recruiting class but reclassified to be eligible for this year's draft, meaning he's younger than the average high schooler in this year's class. Born on April 16, 2009, Grindlinger is just 17 years old.

It's still possible that Los Angeles will give Grindlinger a look as a pitcher. In his senior year with Huntington Beach High School in California, Grindlinger posted an outstanding 0.85 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 17 walks in 57 1/3 innings across 15 appearances. As a hitter, he slashed .376/.440/.560 with two home runs, 14 extra-base hits, and just two strikeouts.

While Grindlinger has a ton of upside, his young age makes him a bit of a wild card. Rojas, who is six-foot-four, is on the older side for high school draft picks, as the left-hander turned 19 late last month.

Rangers fans should be happy their favorite team selected Rojas, and they might have the Angels to thank for that. Rojas' fastball can touch 98 mph and frequently misses bats when it's up in the zone, per his scouting report on MLB Pipeline. He also throws a low-80s sweeping slider that scouts view as his "true out pitch." Additionally, the left-hander occasionally mixes in a changeup.

Only time will tell who between the Angels and Rangers ended up with the better prospect from the first round of this year's draft. But for now, Texas should feel pretty good about Rojas.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow