2026 MLB Draft Review: Texas Rangers

The players

You don’t often see the type of strategy that the Rangers used in the 2026 MLB Draft. Texas signed three high schoolers with signing bonuses of at least $2.5MM each. To make up for the fact that the club didn’t have a high pick, the Rangers went heavy on college players on well-below-slot deals, much like the 2019 Mets did when selecting Brett Baty, Josh Wolf, and Matthew Allan.

Texas was able to save roughly $500,000 when the club picked Gio Rojas with their top pick. Rojas was, arguably, the high school pitching prospect available. A left-hander from the same school that produced numerous Major Leaguers (Anthony Rizzo and Jesús Luzardo), Rojas is incredibly polished for his age.

Sharp, hard fastball that sat in the upper-90s at times, coupled with a slider and a changeup. Rojas has a very high ceiling, to say the least.

The other big piece to the Rangers’ draft was third-round pick Brody Bumila. Bumila is one of the most curious pitchers from this past year’s draft. A left-hander with a history of injuries — he will miss all of 2027 recovering from elbow surgery, and previously had a brace operation — there’s a lot of risk with him. But he also has one of the highest upsides among all pitchers taken in July.

Plus-plus fastball that ran into the triple digits up in Massachusetts. Also has a changeup and slider. He’s 6’9” with long arms and throws from a low 3/4” arm slot, making him the kind of pitcher who, if he can put it all together, could be a monstrous high-end starter.

But as noted above, there’s an incredible amount of risk.

In between Rojas and Bumila, the Rangers spent over $2MM on shortstop Connor Comeau, from the club’s backyard in Texas. Showed pop in the high school showcase circuit last summer, plus a strong arm. Was taken as a shortstop.

After those three picks, the Rangers signed just two players with signing bonuses of $200,000 or more. One was high school outfielder Jordan Hawkins ($200,000), and the other was Ole Miss pitcher Hudson Calhoun ($498,375). Calhoun, a reliever with the Rebels, struck out 67 over 46.2 IP while walking 26.

High IVB fastball that ran into the mid-90s, as well as a slider and curveball.

Michael Anderson came from a Penn State program that’s produced some pro talent over the years, including 2025 draft pick Paxton Kling. Anderson saw just four games of action with Arkansas in 2025, then transferred to State College, where he hit 20 home runs as a senior.

Nevada pitcher Aidan Brainard walked 39 over 62 innings this past season. However, he also struck out 68. Low-90s fastball that played up to 93-94 MPH, coupled with a changeup, slider, and curveball. Changeup played off the fastball by about 10 MPH.

Texas also took two Georgia Bulldogs in the top 10 rounds. Caden Aoki was a groundball machine for both USC and Georgia, working as both a starter and reliever for the two schools. Kolby Branch hit for a lot of power for UGA over his college career. He had three double-digit home run seasons, highlighted by 20 in 2026.