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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.
This morning, I'm profiling Mississippi high school shortstop Ti'Quan Forbes.
Ti'Quan Forbes is a 6'4", 175 lb. high school shortstop out of Columbia, Mississippi. Baseball America has him ranked #47 in their pre-draft rankings, though their latest mock draft projects him to go at #32 to the Atlanta Braves. ESPN's rankings have Forbes at #39. MLB.com's mock draft has Forbes going at #25.
I wasn't sure who I was going to profile today, but then, in reading BA's comments on Forbes, I realized it had to be him. BA calls Forbes "a projectable player scouts can dream on" and that he has "arguably the biggest gap between the player he is today and the player he could be at maturity." They go on to say that "Forbes offers an intriguing package for tools-based teams that love athletes with upside."
That sounds like the type of player the Rangers target, doesn't it?
Forbes apparently will have to move off of shortstop, although it sounds like center field could be an option for him, and the scouting reports praise his bat speed and hands while saying he needs a lot of refinement.
Video of Forbes: