Texas Rangers Draft: Assessing potential and timelines for each pick
By Cody Smith
Texas Rangers Draft Pick 2
50th overall-Evan Carter
OF, Elizabethton HS (TN)
This was where things really started to get crazy for the Texas Rangers during the draft. I don’t think I saw Carter ranked on any draft boards, but he was the guy that the Rangers took in the 2nd round, shocking really just about everybody that follows the draft.
The reason that Carter did not appear on any major draft boards was likely due to him not participating in a summer showcase in 2019, hurting teams from really getting a better look at him.
The Texas Rangers, believe that they have found a potential five-tool player in Carter, and their scouting director, Kip Fagg, even said it himself. For those readers that are unfamiliar with the term “five-tool,” it is used in reference to a player that possesses these five critical tools for baseball: hitting for average, power, speed, arm strength, and fielding.
Carter played both football and baseball in high school, and pitched, in addition to playing outfield. He said that he is planning on being an outfielder for his MLB career.
It’s really hard to truly gauge what a high school draft pick is going to be like, and how smooth his transition to the minors is going to be, so it is likely that there will be some sort of rookie ball in 2021 for the drafted players of 2020 to participate in, since there will probably not be a league like that for them in 2020.
Debut Projection: 2025
Similar to everyone else that will be on this list, the 2020 season is going to be considered a wash. He will start his career in 2021, and should probably find his way to High-A ball by 2023, AA in 2024, and AAA and potentially a September call-up in 2025.