Top Five Draft Picks in Texas Rangers History
Who knows when or if the MLB Draft will take place in 2020 due to the coronavirus shutdown. Even if it does happen at some point, it will be very different than usual. Even this week's NFL Draft is forced to have team executives and coaches make their selections virtually from their houses in what will be one of the most documented Zoom meetings in history.
As the NFL Draft is the only game in town right now, perhaps even a quasi-fan of football may tune in just to get some kind of sports fix. With that in mind, it couldn't be a more appropriate time to turn our attention back to baseball and give Texas Rangers fans a trip down memory lane with a look back at the top draft picks in the club's history.
5. LHP C.J. Wilson (2001, 5th round)
C.J. Wilson's career with the Texas Rangers started out as inconsistent as one can possibly imagine. He tried to make it as a starter in his debut in 2005, but after six dreadful starts, he was relegated to a role in the bullpen.
From 2006-2009, he went on a roller coaster ride in the bullpen. He became the club's left-handed setup man in 2006, then secured the job as the Rangers closer in 2007 after Éric Gagné was traded away. After owning a bloated 6.02 ERA in 2008, he returned to a set-up role when Frank Francisco was named the closer in 2009.
The 2010 season is where everything turned around for Wilson. He worked insanely hard to make a bid for a spot in the starting rotation, ultimately winning one with a strong spring. For the next two seasons, Wilson logged over 427 innings in 67 starts with a 31-15 record and a 3.14 ERA. Even for a rotation that included Cliff Lee for half a season, Wilson was undoubtedly the club's best starter in 2010-2011. He even finished sixth in the Cy Young voting in 2011 after posting a 16-7 record with a 2.94 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 223 1/3 innings.
4. OF Rusty Greer (1990, 10th round)
Amid the stars of the three-time AL West championship teams in the late-90's stood Rusty Greer. His aggressive style of play preserved Kenny Rogers' perfect game in 1994 and made him a fan favorite in Arlington. He was also a consummate professional and a damn good hitter.
Greer slashed .305/.387/.478 in his nine seasons with the Rangers. He also hit 119 home runs over that time and drove in over 100 runs in three different seasons – all of which were simultaneous with the Rangers three division championships in 1996, 1998, and 1999.
His aggressive style of play unfortunately led to a number of injuries that eventually ended his career all too quickly. However, he forever made his mark in Texas and was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2007.
3. 2B Ian Kinsler (2003, 17th round)
If there's ever an award for the most overlooked player in Rangers history, Ian Kinsler would be the winner. While stars like Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, and Nelson Cruz constantly stole the headlines, Kinsler accumulated a 35.0 bWAR in his eight seasons with Texas, which ranks fifth all-time in franchise history.
Kinsler was about as good of a two-way player that Texas has ever had. In a Rangers uniform, he slashed .273/.349/.454 with 156 home runs and 539 RBIs while accumulating an 8.2 defensive bWAR and 37 Defensive Runs Saved. He was also a three-time All Star while in Texas and was a clutch postseason performer.
In his post-Rangers career, Kinsler also had a successful run with the Tigers, Angels, Red Sox, and Padres. He earned another trip to the All Star game in his first season with Detroit in 2014 and won two Gold Gloves in 2016 (Detroit) and 2018 (Angels, Red Sox). He finally won that elusive World Series ring with Boston in 2018 and retired after a season in San Diego in 2019.
Kinsler will undoubtedly make it into the Rangers Hall of Fame eventually and his 55.2 career bWAR could make him a serious candidate for Cooperstown one day.
2. LHP Kenny Rogers (1982, 39th round)
If Ian Kinsler was a steal in the 17th round, then Kenny Rogers was an all-time heist in the 39th round of the 1982 MLB Draft.
Rogers had three stints with the Rangers (1989-1995, 2000-2002, 2004-2005), winning 133 games with a 4.16 ERA in 1,909 innings over 12 seasons in Arlington. He's also the owner of the only perfect game in franchise history, when he blanked the California Angels in The Ballpark in Arlington's inaugural season. His perfect game is the most recent no-hitter in the club's history.
In addition to his credentials on the mound, Rogers won five Gold Gloves in his career, four of which were with Texas. He won three consecutive Gold Gloves from 2004-2006 (two with Texas, one with Detroit), which were his age 39, 40, and 41 seasons respectively.
Rogers was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame in 2011.
1. 1B Mark Teixeira (2001, 1st round)
Teixeira's stance at the top of this list is twofold.
First, Teixeira was the fifth-overall pick in the 2001 MLB Draft and has been the most successful of all first-round picks in franchise history. From 2003-2007, he became a force in the middle of a potent Rangers lineup, slashing .283/.368/.533 with 153 home runs and 499 RBIs. He won back-to-back Silver Sluggers in 2004-2005 and won back-to-back Gold Gloves in 2005-2006 for defensive excellence at first base. He was a premier player that was coveted throughout baseball.
Second, that covetous pursuit of Teixeira expedited the Rangers' rebuild in the latter-half of the 2000's. In 2007, the Rangers traded Teixieira to Atlanta for shortstop Elvis Andrus, RHP Neftali Feliz, and LHP Matt Harrison. All three players eventually became All Stars for the Rangers and played key roles in the team's back-to-back American League championship seasons in 2010-2011. Needless to say, the return for Teixeira became arguably the most successful trade in the history of the ball club.
After short stints with the Braves and Angels, Teixeira ended up winning a World Series with the New York Yankees in 2009, which was the first of his eight seasons in the Bronx.
Do you agree with this list? Who else deserves to be considered as one of the great draft picks in Texas Rangers history?
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