MLB Mock Draft Round-Up: Texas Rangers Target Potential Long-Term Catcher

The Texas Rangers seem to have their eye on college catchers for the upcoming MLB Draft on Sunday evening.

May 26, 2023; Mesa, AZ, USA; Sam Houston Bearkats' Walker Janek (3) celebrates his 3-run home run against the GCU Lobos during their WAC Tournament game at Hohokam Stadium. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY

Who will the Texas Rangers select Sunday night in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft? Player-wise, it might be a mystery depending on the board.

Position-wise, most analysts see Texas securing a power-hitting catcher. More specifically, mock drafts have the Rangers targeting a college catcher who could fast-track his way to the majors like last year's pick Wyatt Langford.

The Athletic's Keith Law has Texas targeting Stanford catcher Malcolm Moore at pick No. 30, citing that while prep shortstop Theo Gillen is on its radar, the more logical move is to add the pop.

I’ve heard [Texas] with Moore a bunch, and that they really want Gillen, but that they’re not taking a high school pitcher here at all.

- The Athletic's Keith Law

Despite an underwhelming season in his final year with the Cardinal, Moore still is a solid bat. The junior slashed .255/.414/.553 with 16 home runs and 36 RBI in 54 games. His walk ratio improved, as did his strikeout rate.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel also sees Moore as a plug-and-play fit in Texas' farm system, given his left-hander pop at the plate.

This has been considered Moore's floor for a while and in this scenario, he lands here. [Carter] Johnson is a leading option here and will go soon after this pick if Texas doesn't take him. [Tytson] Lewis is another rumored name for this pick while Jared Thomas and [ Caleb] Bonemer also get some interest in the late 20s and into the 30s."

- ESPN's Kiley McDaniel

MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis have the Rangers taking a catcher, but that already resides in the Lone Star State. Targeting a prep shortstop was mentioned, but both writers have the Rangers settling on Sam Houston's Walker Janek before the start of compensation picks.

College catchers look like the priority for the Rangers, who also have been tied to Caldwell and the second tier of high school shortstops that includes Carter Johnson (Alabama) and Wyatt Sanford (Texas).

- Jim Callis

The Bearkats junior won the Buster Posey Award, given to the nation's top collegiate catcher and was named first-team All-American by Baseball America after hitting .368 with 17 home runs and 58 RBI. Defensively, he was exceptional with framing and threw out 16 of 31 runners on stolen base attempts.

Bleacher Report has Janek off the board at pick No. 28 to Houston, thus leading back to a selection of Moore.

He might have been a top-15 pick if he had put together a better spring, but that just means potential value for a team like the Rangers drafting at the end of the first round that still believes in his offensive upside.

- Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter

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