The 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was one loaded with young, big-hitting talent for the Texas Rangers.
Baseball America, the leading publication in the country when it comes to baseball from the bigs on down to rookie ball, has released its "awards" for each team's draft class, and today we'll take a look at the Rangers'.
Best hitter — Nick Williams, OF, Galveston Ball HS, hit .313 in his pro debut after a slow start to the seaosn.
Best power hitter — Joey Gallo, 3B, Las Vegas Bishop Gorman HS, this one is a no-brainer. Gallo set the world on fire in rookie ball and might have been the best first-year power hitter in all of baseball as he jacked 22 home runs with a .660 slugging percentage.
Fastest runner — Lewis Brinson, OF, Coral Springs (Fla.) HS, this guy was supposed to be the best athlete the Rangers took in the draft, and that proved to be true as he is the best runner in the Rangers' farm, which helps on the bases and in center field.
Best fastball — Keone Kela, RHP, Everett (Wash.) CC, Kela regularly hit the upper 90s and even touched 100 mph.
Best secondary pitch — Collin Wiles, RHP, Blue Valley West HS (Stillwell, Kan.) is said to have a really good curveball that sits in the low 70s and has tight rotation.
Which one will we see first in a Rangers' uniform? My best guess is Gallo or Brinson.
