Rangers MLB Draft Day Two Recap: Rounds 2-10

Stay informed with what the Texas Rangers do on Day 2 of the MLB Draft with up to the minutes updates.

Chris Halicke | Jul 12, 2021

Day two of the 2021 MLB Draft is all wrapped up. Coverage of day three begins at 11:00 a.m. CT on Tuesday.

Day One Recap

Round 1 (2nd overall): Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt

Height: 6-1 | Weight: 205 | Bat/Throw: R/R
Commit/Drafted: Yankees, 2019 (20th round)
DOB: 4/21/00 (age 21)

Bonus Slot Value: $7,789,900

Chris Young (Rangers Executive Vice President & General Manager):

"Jack has been our guy for a while. We were going through contingency plans in case Pittsburgh did take him. But when we found out that we were going to have the opportunity to select him, there was no second guessing or second thoughts. We were thrilled. Our group was thrilled. It was a fun night."

Kip Fagg (Rangers Senior Director of Amateur Scouting):

“Pitchers like him don't come around in very many drafts in my 29 years of scouting. He’s a special kid. He's a special talent. ... He is a unique guy. It's a smaller package, but very powerful and athletic. The fastball probably plays as good as any fastball I've seen in all of my years of scouting."

Young on Leiter's signability:

"We fully expect to sign him. We wouldn't have taken him if we didn't. We're very thrilled we're going to have this opportunity."

Day Two Recap

Round 2 (38th overall): Aaron Zavala, OF, Oregon

Height: 6-0 | Weight: 199 | Bat/Throw: L/R
Commit/Drafted: N/A
DOB: 6/23/00 (age 21)

Bonus Slot Value: $1,952,300

Zavala, 21, was named 2021 Pac-12 Player of the Year after batting .392/.525/.628/1.153 with nine home runs and 38 RBI as a senior at the University of Oregon, finishing with the nation’s fifth-highest on-base percentage. He also ranked among Division I leaders in walks (T-6th, 50) while leading his conference in batting average. His 50 walks and 64 runs were program records for a single season.

InsideTheRangers.com Initial Reaction:
Zavala fits the trend the Rangers have stuck with over the past couple of drafts: a very productive college hitter known mostly for his hit tool. He was No. 124 in Baseball America's Top 500 prospect rankings, but shot up draft boards down the stretch. He could be an under-slot candidate (slot value at $1.95 million), which could help pay the over-slot value for first-round pick Jack Leiter.

BA Profile:

"Zavala made an impact the moment he stepped foot on Oregon’s campus, appearing in 43 games as a freshman before breaking through in the truncated 2020 season, with a .418/.493/.491 slash line. He’s kept up that performance this season, while showing more power, hitting .392/.525/.628 with 50 walks compared to just 31 strikeouts. Zavala’s excellent play has caught the attention of scouts, who showed up to the Eugene Regional to watch Zavala cap off his season with a 6-for-18 showing with two homers in four games. Not ranked in the BA 500 coming into the season, Zavala has shot up draft boards and become one of the most talked-about players in the Pacific Northwest, led by an above-average hit tool. Zavala has a short, quick bat with a flat path through the zone from the left side and consistently gets the barrel on the ball. Zavala’s low strikeout rates stood out to evaluators, and he works long at-bats. Zavala has strength in his 6-foot, 199-pound frame, with more line-drive power with a gap-to-gap approach. His power did tick up this year, but some evaluators feel he’ll need to make some swing adjustments to lead to more juice in the future. Zavala is a good athlete for his size, with solid-average speed and has been clocked at 4.18 seconds down the line. He’s played right field this year, but he’s shown the ability to play third base and second as well. Zavala’s arm is below-average, leading some evaluators to think he profiles better in left field, though he’ll likely need to show more power to stay there."

Round 3 (73rd overall): Cameron Cauley, SS, Barbers Hill HS (Mt. Belvieu, Texas)

Height: 5-10 | Weight: 170 | Bat/Throw: R/R
Commit/Drafted: Texas Tech
DOB: 2/6/03 (age 18)

Bonus Slot Value: $857,400

BA Profile (video):

"Although he’s a high school shortstop, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Cauley play a little bit of everywhere either in pro ball or at Texas Tech. He’s athletic and his plus speed, feel for the game and solid hands could help him develop into an above-average defender at second base or even in center field. Cauley could end up as an average shortstop or third baseman as well, although his average arm is less than many teams want at those positions. More than anything, he’s a proactive baseball player. He makes the routine play and has a good internal clock. At the plate, Cauley’s skinny frame and lack of projection make it unlikely he’ll ever hit more than 10-15 home runs a year, but he has excellent bat-to-ball skills. He has above-average barrel control and a simple, repeatable swing that generates plenty of contact and gives him a path to being an above-average hitter. Before helping lead Barbers Hill to its first ever Texas state tournament appearance, Cauley was a productive wide receiver for the school’s football team. Cauley’s father, Chris, pitched three years in the White Sox farm system and is an assistant football and baseball coach at Barbers Hill."

Round 4 (103rd overall): Ian Moller, C, Wahlert HS (Dubuque, Iowa)

Height: 6-0 | Weight: 195 | Bat/Throw: R/R
Commit/Drafted: Louisiana State
DOB: 10/26/02 (age 18)

Bonus Slot Value: $565,600

Baseball America's No. 272 prospect

BA Profile:

"The 18-year-old catcher impressed last summer at premium showcases but has had a lot of inconsistencies exposed this season, leaving a ton of question marks for evaluators. Moller has feel for the barrel and a decent path, but scouts are split on the swing. He has huge raw power potential but he can get really pull happy with a tendency to drop his back shoulder and try to lift everything, causing him to run into swing-and-miss trouble. The Louisiana State commit was impressive defensively early on and is athletic behind the plate, but he’s had concerning lapses where he doesn’t block a ball or will drop one. He has soft but strong hands and the ability to block and is quick with his exchange, but inconsistency is his kryptonite. The arm has potential to be plus, but he also doesn’t show the arm strength routinely. The 6-foot, 195-pound backstop is a well below-average runner, but it doesn’t impact his catching profile much. Moller needs to tighten up his tools because they’re there, but he doesn’t always show them in game settings."

I'm a big fan of new #Rangers catcher Ian Moller. Very good offensive potential and really good behind the plate, too. Struggled a bit this spring, could be a steal here https://t.co/cJEXuDdvWP
— Keanan Lamb (@keananlamb) July 12, 2021

Round 5 (134th overall): Mitchell Bratt, LHP, Newmarket HS (Newmarket, ON, CAN)

Height: 6-1 | Weight: 195 | Bat/Throw: L/L
Commit/Drafted: Florida State
DOB: 7/3/03 (age 18)

Bonus Slot Value: $418,200

Baseball America's No. 302 prospect

BA Profile:

"The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Canadian is a projectable lefthander whose size, handedness and strike-throwing ability offer a glimpse of a bright future. Bratt has routinely parked his fastball in the mid-to-upper 80s but was getting into the low 90s this spring while playing for the Georgia Premier Academy, departing his home province because of the limitations due to its strict pandemic protocols. In addition to a fastball that could easily tick up with some added strength and time on the mound, Bratt has shown solid feel for a breaking ball and changeup. He doesn’t have the present stuff of some of the other lefties in the draft class, but he’s loose and athletic and throws more strikes than fellow Canadians Landon Leach, Eric Cerantola or Calvin Ziegler did in their original draft year. His operation and command add excitement to his potential."

Round 6 (164th overall): Chase Lee, RHP, Alabama

Height: 6-0 | Weight: 170 | Bat/Throw: R/R
Commit/Drafted: N/A
DOB: 8/13/98 (age 22)

Bonus Slot Value: $312,400

Unranked on Baseball America

Career stats at Alabama (three seasons):
49 G (0 starts), 9-0 record, 1.87 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 82.0 IP, 94 SO, 21 BB

Round 7 (194th overall): Bradford Webb, RHP, VCU

Height: 6-3 | Weight: 200 | Bat/Throw: R/R
Commit/Drafted: N/A
DOB: 4/20/98 (age 23)

Bonus Slot Value: $243,000

Unranked on Baseball America

Career stats at VCU (one season):
17 G (14 starts), 3-1 record, 3.16 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 57.0 IP, 57 SO, 13 BB

Round 8 (224th overall): Larson Kindreich, LHP, Biola University

Height: 6-4 | Weight: 210 | Bat/Throw: L/L
Commit/Drafted: N/A
DOB: 6/21/99 (age 22)

Bonus Slot Value: $191,500

Baseball America's No. 159 prospect
Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

BA Profile:

"Kindreich first jumped on scouts' radars as a projectable lefthander with velocity to come at the Area Code Games in high school. He grew into that promise at Biola (Calif.) and established himself as the top Division II player in the draft class with a standout showing in the Northwoods League last summer. Kindreich has an appealing pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds and sits 92-94 mph from the left side. His changeup is a potential plus pitch and he shows feel to spin a potentially average curveball that has flashed higher. Kindreich has a starter’s frame and repertoire, but his control and velocity have been inconsistent throughout his career and his performance this spring was underwhelming. He posted a 3.83 ERA against poor Div. II competition and allowed four or more runs in half of his starts. His fastball velocity dropped into the 80s at one point in the middle of the season, but he rebounded to return to the low 90s at the end of the year. Kindreich’s pure stuff fits in the top five rounds, but concerns about his control and performance have him just outside of that range for many teams."

Round 9 (254th overall): Liam Hicks, C, Arkansas State

Height: 5-11 | Weight: 185 | Bat/Throw: L/R
Commit/Drafted: N/A
DOB: 6/2/99 (age 22)

Bonus Slot Value: $161,400

Unranked on Baseball America

Career stats at Arkansas State (two seasons):
57 G, 274 PA, .340/.482/.571/1.053, 11 HR, 40 RBI, 14 2B, 1 3B, 2 SB, 46 BB, 25 SO

Round 10 (284th overall): C.J. Widger, LHP, Rowan College at Gloucester County (NJ)

Height: 6-6 | Weight: 170 | Bat/Throw: L/R
Commit/Drafted: N/A
DOB: 5/25/99 (age 22)

Bonus Slot Value: $149,300

Unranked on Baseball America

Career Stats at Rowan College (one season):
12 G (6 starts), 8-0 record, 1.26 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 57.0 IP, 68 SO, 10 BB

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Published Jul 12, 2021

CHRIS HALICKE