See whom experts have Rangers selecting at No. 3 overall

Looking for MLB mock drafts? You’ve come to the right place.

The Rangers have the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft. Stillwater High School shortstop Jackson Holliday, Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada and IMG Academy outfielder Elijah Green are among the names who have been linked to the Rangers so far.

Who will the Rangers take on July 17? Here’s a quick breakdown of whom draft experts have going to the Rangers in the first round.

Jackson Holliday, SS, Stillwater (Okla.) HS

The Dallas Morning News’ Evan Grant’ analysis: The son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday raised his stock considerably over the course of the season, going from Baseball America’s No. 21-ranked prospect heading into the school year to No. 3.

A left-handed hitting athletic middle infielder with strong baseball bloodlines and instincts put him on the map. A surge in strength that led to a .685 average with 17 homers and a 2.141 OPS during the high school season put him at the center of the conversation. Perhaps no player has made as strong an impression on the Rangers this spring as Holliday. But the same could be said about the Orioles and Diamondbacks, the two teams that draft ahead of Texas. Both teams selected middle of the field high schoolers last year, too.

The Athletic’s Keith Law (July 11): “Jones is gone by this pick, so I think this is Holliday or Green — Elijah’s father posted video of him smoking a ball at some sort of workout at the Rangers stadium the other day — or Kevin Parada, which would make sense if the Rangers are willing to give up a little upside for the proximity of an advanced college bat who’ll get to the majors while Corey Seager and Marcus Semien are still at their relative peaks.”

CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa (July 14): “Holliday and to a lesser extent Elijah Green are said to be high on their board as well, and given how college heavy Texas has gone in the last few first rounds, I wouldn’t rule out Brooks Lee or Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada either. Signs point to the Rangers preferring Holliday over Green, so we have them taking Matt’s son.

MLB.com’s Jim Callis (June 22): “The Rangers wouldn’t mind a shot at Jones and covet Holliday. They’re also heavy on Green and Parada.”

Baseball Prospect Journal’s Dan Zielinski III and Philadelphia Sports Station’s Conor Doherty also have the Rangers selecting Holliday. Click the corresponding links to read their analysis.

Kevin Parada, C, Georgia Tech

Grant’s analysis: Given the dearth of catching in the big leagues, the value for a front-line catcher might be higher than that of a corner infielder. And with the possibility of automatic strike zones coming into play in the not-to-distant future, an offensive-first catcher becomes even more valuable. Parada comes from a program that has a history of producing big league catchers from Jason Varitek to Matt Wieters to, most recently 2018 No. 2 overall pick Joey Bart. At age 20, as a draft eligible sophomore, he batted .361 with 26 homers and a 1.162 OPS in 2022. He also reduced his strikeout rate significantly from 2021 to 2022.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (July 15): “As with Arizona, I think Texas also wants Druw Jones and Jackson Holliday reach this pick and the Rangers may also do what they can to make that more likely. I think Texas will be happy with Parada here, and Elijah Green is the only other name I’ve heard connected to this pick.”

Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter (July 6): “With a .361/.453/.709 line that included 26 home runs and 88 RBI in 305 plate appearances, Parada is a rare offensive player at catcher. He does have work to do to refine his defense, especially his throwing accuracy, which is important given his fringy arm, but few players in the crouch can hit like he does.”

OddsChecker’s Jason Radowitz and Baseball America also have the Rangers selecting Parada.

Elijah Green, OF, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Holliday and Parada took over in most mock drafts for the Rangers’ No. 3 pick Sunday. Green may have been a popular pick two weeks ago, but mock drafts evolve. That doesn’t mean Texas won’t have Green as an option. The News’ Grant suggested Green could be sitting there for the Rangers when it’s their time to pick.

Grant’s analysis: The Rangers’ choice will likely come from a pool that includes Holliday, the son of former All-Star Matt Holliday, Atlanta high school second baseman Termarr Johnson and Green. Mock drafts have Green going anywhere from third to the Rangers (Baseball America) to ninth to Kansas City (ESPN).

Holliday has had perhaps the best overall performance of the three. Johnson may be the best hitter in the draft. Green? Well, if he reaches his ceiling, he might well dwarf the other two.

Prime Time Sports Talk’s John Lepore has the Rangers selecting Green. Read his analysis here.

Termarr Johnson, SS, Mays (GA)

Grant’s analysis: Legitimate or not, the industry supposition is that Johnson will have to move from shortstop in high school to second base and that he doesn’t really have anywhere to go from there. He’s “only” 5-8 and BA suggests he’s “physically maxed out.” He also played in what was considered a weaker high school district. But regardless of supposed limitations, if you get the best offensive player in a draft, you’ve hit a home run.

Just Baseball’s Ryan Miller has the Rangers selecting Johnson. Click here to read.

Others

Baseball Prospect Journal’s Dan Zielinski III has the Rangers picking Cam Collier, a third-baseman from Chipola College, while Just Baseball’s Ryan Miller predicts SS Brooks Lee from Cal Poly SLO.

—

Find more Rangers coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.