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Good morning. The Rangers had two selections on Day 1 of the MLB Draft and used them to take two right-handed high school strike throwers with relatively higher floors. Feels like the Rangers are trying something different. One of the kids is named Cole, so, I mean, it’s not radically different or anything.
As the draft played out, the Rangers suddenly had their pick of several top prospects no one really thought would be there at No. 15, not to mention their preferred choice of toolsheds from the deep south. As T.R. Sullivan writes, the Rangers went with RHP Cole Winn which was a win for headline writers.
Evan Grant writes that the Rangers thought Winn might go as high as No. 2 overall and then the pitcher they had ranked second on their board fell to them at No. 15.
Perhaps one of these things worked out for the Rangers for once.
15. Rangers. Cole Winn. Cant imagine this draft turning out better for the Rangers. What a steal to get Winn at 15. Dominated all comers this spring facing incredibly upper-level competition start after start. Was great at NHSI, was great at Boras, was great in every start.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) June 5, 2018
Now all that’s left to do is wait ten years to find out.
Jeff Wilson notes that, yes, the Rangers selected a prep pitcher with a TCU commitment who landed to the middle of the first round but Nolan Ryan isn’t here to bungle the negotiations this time so things should be fine.
The DMN offers five things you need to know about Cole Winn including his pitching mastery over two states.
With their second pick, No. 55 in the second round, the Rangers inexplicably bypassed a high ceiling kid named Cole Wilcox from Georgia — or, the most Rangers draftee possible — to select RHP prepster Owen White.
White is considered a tough sign with a commitment to South Carolina but Wilson notes that the Rangers are confident that both Winn and White will sign.
Yesterday Jamey Newberg wrote about a tandem of scouts who cover the west coast for the Rangers and today he writes about another score for those folks in Winn.
The main takeaway from the MLB Draft is kids born in the year 2000 were selected and we’re all basically the guy rapidly turning to dust after choosing poorly in The Last Crusade.
And, lastly, Levi Weaver continues his piece on Driveline Baseball which, perhaps noteworthy, founder Kyle Boddy liked the Winn pick:
I liked RHP Cole Winn (Rangers) above pretty much every other high school pitcher.
— Kyle Boddy (@drivelinebases) June 5, 2018
Have a nice day!