Texas Rangers Taking Prep Outfielder in MLB Mock Draft

ESPN seems certain the Texas Rangers will take a prep bat with their No. 4 overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft.

The question is which one.

The site’s latest mock draft has the Rangers taking outfielder Max Clark of Franklin (Ind.) Community High School.

But the last two mocks had the Rangers taking another prep outfielder, Walker Jenkins out of South Brunswick High School in Southport, N.C.

The Rangers have been connected to those two players in other mock drafts. They appear to be the clear top prep prospects in the class. Per ESPN:

I’ve been going back and forth between Jenkins and Clark here in the scenario that the college guys make up the top three picks. I had Jenkins here the past two mocks, and I’m still not sure where I’ll settle. Texas has been heavily looking at prep bats, and unless Langford gets here (unlikely but possible; if so, he stops here) or Crews gets here (another under 10% but greater than 0% chance dark horse), I think the Rangers pick one of these two prep bats.

The top three picks in the mock are college players. In fact, all three were in action in the College World Series Championship.

This mock projected LSU pitcher Paul Skenes to go No. 1 overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The second pick would be his teammate, outfielder Dylan Crews, to the Washington Nationals. Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford went No. 3 to the Detroit Tigers.

The draft will be from July 9-11 in Seattle as part of All-Star Weekend festivities.

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