Fansided · Jul 13, 2025
Chris Young defies tradition with surprising Rangers first-round draft pick
2025 MLB Draft | Jamie Squire/GettyImagesThe Rangers have strayed away from the mold of the past six years and selected a high school propsect as the organization's 12th overall pick in Gavin Fien.
Fien is the last high school first-round draft pick since they selected another California kid in Cole Winn back in 2018 with the 15th overall selection that season. Texas has taken collegiate players ever since starting with Josh Jung.
Selecting the 18-year-old prep infielder 12th overall is a mark that Texas's clear target is building back their farm system to the point where they can be ready to compete with fresh, new set of faces in 5-6 years time.
Who is Gavin Fien?