Monday was a busy night for the Texas Rangers on and off the field.
While the big-league club was taking care of business against the Houston Astros behind a strong start by Yu Darvish, the organization took steps toward the future on the first day of the MLB Draft.
Round 1 (26th): Bubba Thompson, OF
Texas' first pick Monday was Thompson, an outfielder from McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Alabama.
Thompson hit .429 with 11 home runs, 35 RBI and 18 stolen bases while posting a .857 slugging percentage during his senior year.
The University of Alabama commit was also a 3-star quarterback who drew interest from football recruiters in the SEC but chose the diamond instead of the gridiron.
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“When I felt the love for the game, I just knew this was my career,” Thompson told MLB Network.
Thompson said he will sign with the Rangers instead of taking the baseball scholarship from Alabama.
Round 1 (29th): Chris Seise, SS
Later in the first round, the Rangers selected Seise out of West Orange High School in Florida.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Seise hit .413 with 31 runs scored. He has a scholarship to Central Florida.
Round 2: Hans Crouse, P
In the second round, the Rangers went the pitching route by selecting Crouse out of Dana Hills High School in California.
The 18-year old was a Rawlings-Perfect Game First-Team All-America as a senior with a 0.88 ERA in 67 innings to go along with 99 strikeouts. Crouse is committed to the University of Southern California.
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Day 2
Rounds 3-10
noon Tuesday
Day 3
Rounds 11-40
noon Wednesday
