Texas Rangers Sign Another Draft Pick

The Texas Rangers announced the signing of outfielder Maxton Martin, who the team selected in the 11th round (321st overall) of the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft.

Martin, 18, batted .471 (32-68) with five home runs and 21 RBI in his senior season at Southridge High School in Kennewick, Wash., where he also played quarterback on the school’s varsity football team. The left-handed batter and right-handed thrower has appeared in 19 games this summer with the Walla Walla Sweets of the West Coast League, batting .235 with one home run, two triples, and 14 RBI. Martin, a University of Oregon commit, is the younger brother of Mason Martin, who is a first baseman in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Additionally, Texas has signed two undrafted free agents: infielder’s Ben Blackwell from Clemson University and Arturo Disla from Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas.

Blackwell slashed .301/.384/.386/.769 (71-236) with two home runs and 31 RBI in 63 games this spring as a senior at Clemson. He started all 121 games at shortstop in his two seasons with the Tigers (2022-23) after transferring from the University of Dayton (Ohio) prior to the 2022 campaign. The Fairfax, Va. native graduated from Clemson in May of 2023 with a master’s degree in athletic leadership.

Disla, a Dominican Republic native, posted a .428 average, 12 home runs, 22 doubles, and 62 RBI over 49 games as a sophomore at Wayland Baptist this spring, earning First Team All-Sooner Athletic Conference and NAIA All-American Honorable Mention selections.

With these final additions ahead of Tuesday’s signing deadline, the Rangers have come to terms with 15 of their 18 draft picks, including each of their top 13 selections, and eight undrafted free agents.

Catch up with Inside the Rangers on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.