Rangers farm system gets big boost as 2026 draft pick lands in MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects

The consensus among those in the know is that the Rangers really hit the jackpot with their first pick in the 2026 MLB draft, Gio Rojas. The fireballing lefty out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida was the pick at No. 16, and he was considered the top left-handed hurler in the draft.

That notion is being confirmed by MLB Prospect's renowned top 100 list, as the teenager has made his debut at No. 97, joining other top Ranger prospects Caden Scarborough (77) and Sebastian Walcott (9) among the elite farmhands in America. Rojas may have just squeezed into the top 100, but it's a great place to start, and there is great confidence that he will be working his way up this list in the coming years.

Rangers Gio Rojas has filthy stuff at just 19 years old, and MLB Pipeline Top 100 knows he can be a special pitcher

There is plenty to love about Gio Rojas, and it is why he has debuted in the Pipeline's top 100. First, at six-foot-four and nearly 200 pounds, he is already an intimidating figure on the mound. And his filthy stuff makes him even more dominant.

Rojas has a fastball that is consistently between 93 and 95 miles per hour, occasionally touching an amazing 98 on the gun as a 19-year-old. But he is more than just a flamethrower, working with an arsenal of breaking and off-speed pitches that made him virtually unhittable as a high school phenom.

He has a low-release 80-mph sweeper that is nearly untouchable when he locates it running away from lefties and to the back foot of right-handed hitters. Though he rarely uses it, Rojas also features an 80-mph changeup that will likely be a third pitch he can develop and use as a pro.

The pedigree is clearly there, as he comes from the same high school that has produced other MLB stars like Phillies stud Jesus Luzardo, rookie phenom Roman Anthony, and former All-Star Anthony Rizzo. There are already scouts saying that he can be as good as or better than Luzardo, who is currently one of the top southpaws in the league.

It's always encouraging to get confirmation from reputable sources like MLB.com and MLB Pipeline Top 100 that you have accomplished your goal of immediately injecting top talent into the system. Rojas has so much potential — now it's all about coaching him up the right way and getting him through the minors in the appropriate amount of time without rushing.

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