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Rangers notebook: 2019 Draft Recap, Rangers beat Orioles in 12th

Photo: Klay Kuban/Dallas Sports Fanatic

Rangers notebook: 2019 Draft Recap, Rangers beat Orioles in 12th

Wednesday marked the conclusion of the 2019 MLB Draft, and with it, another key benchmark for the rebuild of the Texas Rangers.

Notably, the Rangers selected Texas Tech infielder Josh Jung with the 8th overall pick. Jung was the Big 12 Co-Player of the year with a .332 batting average, 11 home runs and 53 RBI. At age 21, Jung appears to be a player that could break into the Major Leagues relatively soon.

He was far from Texas’ only selection from an area school, however. The Rangers chose Baylor third baseman Davis Wendzel with a competitive balance pick, and drafted teammate and LHP Cody Bradford- a native of nearby Aledo. The team also took RHP Joe Corbett from West Texas A&M.

On Day 3, Texas selected several prospects with fascinating backgrounds. The team’s 14th round selection, 6-foot-7 pitcher Adam Berghorst, is currently signed to a two-sport scholarship to play both football and baseball at Michigan State.

25th round pick Rafael Xavier Pelletier hails from Eduoard Monpetit HS in Montreal, Quebec. Eli Saul from Prince of Wales High School in British Columbia. 39th round selection Adrian Rodriguez attended Florida Virtual School.

FVS obviously doesn’t field a baseball team- Texas scouting brass discovered him while playing softball in a men’s league in Yonkers, New York- not unlike blue chip prospect Joe Palumbo, who was discovered in a similar manner.

Perhaps the only thing the Rangers’ 2019 class has in common is how all-over-the-place it is geographically. Of the 40 picks, 20 states were represented, on top of the two international selections.

Scouting Director Kipp Fagg credits Texas’ scouting staffs willingness to reach sights unforeseen.

“That’s a testament to our group,” Fagg said Wednesday in a phone interview. “They work their tails off and go to the all over the earth to find talent. We feel like we’ll beat other teams because we’ll do that.”


Rangers 2, Orioles 1

ARLINGTON- Apparently, Texas and Baltimore used up all of the offense the two teams had in Tuesday’s 12-11 thriller, because Wednesday’s game certainly lacked firepower.

It wasn’t quite a pitcher’s duel, either. Even so, Texas ace Mike Minor hurled a masterpiece.

Again, pitch count played a factor. Minor left the game with a shutout still in tact after 117 pitches. He went 5 2/3 innings while striking out seven, and couldn’t finish off the sixth.

Texas’ bullpen attack of Jesse Chavez, Chris Martin quieted Baltimore’s bats until 2018 Rule 5 Draft pick from Oakland and shortstop Richie Martin tied the game with a solo home run off of Shawn Kelley to end the stalemate.

The war of attrition picked right back up from the 9th-12th inning, until Delino Deshields won the game with a walk-off single. It was the longest game by time of the season for the Rangers. Texas improves to 31-28 on the season and maintains a tie for second in the American League Wild Card standings.

The two teams convene for the series’ rubber match tomorrow night, with Ariel Jurado scheduled to start opposite Baltimore’s Dylan Hess.

Staff Writer covering the Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars for Dallas Sports Fanatic. Sports journalism grad from the University of Missouri. Christ follower, Dallas sports fan living in Houston.

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