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Beginning in 2011, I started doing capsule reports on possible Texas Ranger draft picks. No one I profiled in 2011 was actually taken by the Rangers that year, but I each of the last two years one of the players I profiled actually was picked (Nick Williams and Travis Demeritte).
This year, the Rangers don't have their own first round pick, having lost that for signing Shin-Soo Choo, but they have a supplemental first rounder (#30 overall) for losing Nelson Cruz. While just one high pick makes the draft a little less exciting, I think its still worth taking a look at some guys who may be options for Texas at #30. So in the next few weeks, I'll do little write-ups on some players who could end up being drafted by the Rangers.
Today, I'm highlighting Georgia prep pitcher Spencer Adams.
Spencer Adams is a righthanded pitcher out of White County High School in Cleveland, Georgia. I've seen him listed at 6'3", 6'4" and 6'5", depending on the source, but by all accounts, he's tall and lanky. Adams is ranked #24 on the Baseball America draft rankings list, and #35 on the ESPN pre-draft rankings list. Baseball America's latest mock draft has Adams going at #22 to the Dodgers. Jonathan Mayo's mock draft has Adams going to the Cincinnati Reds at #29, one slot ahead of the Rangers, who pick at #30.
Adams fits the profile of the type of pitcher that the Rangers like to target...he's athletic, projectable, described as having a quick arm, and has upside, and of course, he's from Georgia, which seems to be the Rangers' favorite place to find amateurs. He pitched in the low-90s this year, and BA says his slider is a plus pitch. He's the type of player who has the potential to be a #2/#3 starter, if things break right for him.
Video of Adams is below: