Rangers Make 10 Selections on Day Three of 2024 MLB Draft

Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers today selected 10 players on the third and final day of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft, which covers rounds 11-20. The Rangers selected a total of 20 players in this year’s draft, including 9 pitchers and 11 position players. 17 of Texas’ 20 draft picks this year came from the college ranks, including 10 of the team’s first 11 selections.

The club drafted a pair of native Texans in 18th-round selection Kadyn Leon, a right-handed pitcher from Lake Travis High School in Austin, and 20th-round pick Mac Rose, a catcher out of McLennan Community College in Waco who hails from nearby Rockwall.

Below is additional information on the club’s day-three selections:

LHP DALTON PENCE (11th round, 345th overall) – Pence, who turns 22 on August 28, went 5-1, 2.45 ERA (16 ER/58.2 IP) with 74 strikeouts and team-high 8 saves across 36 relief outings in his redshirt sophomore season at the University of North Carolina, earning Second Team All-America selections from Baseball America, College Baseball Foundation, D1 Baseball and Perfect Game. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound southpaw was awarded Third Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors after tying with teammate Matthew Matthijs for the conference lead in appearances and ranking 3rd among ACC pitchers in saves. He lettered in all four years as a pitcher and first baseman at Cherryville (N.C.) High School and was named to the 2021 NCBCA 1A All-State Team in the final year of his prep career.

C JOSH SPRINGER (12th round, 375th overall) – Springer, 18, batted .381 (40-105) with one home run, 5 doubles, and 15 RBI over 33 games during his senior season at Corona (Calif.) Senior High School, helping the Panthers to a CIF Southern Section D1 championship and earning First Team All-State honors from Prep Baseball California. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Springer was tabbed by Perfect Game as the 24th-best high school prospect in California, as well as the 3rd-best catcher in the state. Springer is committed to play collegiately at the University of Oregon.

LHP AIDAN DEAKINS (13th round, 405th overall) – The 20-year-old Deakins posted a 7-2 record, 4.62 ERA (39 ER/76.0 IP) and 113 strikeouts (13.38 SO/9) across 17 appearances/starts this spring as a sophomore at Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Ill. He has spent the last two seasons at WVC after graduating from Appoquinimink High School in Middletown, Del. Deakins helped the baseball program to three state championship appearances during his prep career, including a title run as freshman in 2019. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound left-hander is currently committed to continue his collegiate playing career at Troy (Ala.) University.

C BEN HARTL (14th round, 435th overall) – The 21-year-old Hartl slashed .309/.460/.599/1.059 (47-152) with 11 home runs, 11 doubles, and 35 RBI in 45 games at the University of Kansas during his 2024 junior campaign, ranking among Jayhawks last season in home runs (2nd), OPS (2nd), slugging percentage (3rd), and total bases (5th, 91). A Springfield, Ill. native, Hartl previously attended Heartland (Ill.) Community College before transferring to Kansas following the 2023 season. The right-handed batter and thrower prepped at Springfield High School, where he hit .355 over 96 high school contests and was ranked as the 2nd-best prep catcher in Illinois by Prep Baseball report.

RHP BROOKS FOWLER (15th round, 465th overall) – Fowler, 21, compiled a 16-7 record, one save, a 4.48 ERA (90 ER/181.0 IP), and 190 strikeouts/75 walks across 50 appearances/34 starts in three seasons at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound right-hander was a 2023 ABCA/Rawlings Central All-Region First Team and All-Summit League Second Team selection as a sophomore in 2023, and went 6-5, 5.61 ERA (49 ER/78.2 IP) with a career-high 81 strikeouts in 16 starts during his junior campaign this spring. He was rated as the 9th-best recruit in Oklahoma (Perfect Game) following his senior year at Jenks High School in 2021 after capturing the 6A state title that season.

RHP ERIC LOOMIS (16th round, 495th overall) – Loomis, 22, went 1-4 with an 11.00 ERA (33 ER/27.0 IP) and 33 strikeouts (11.0 SO/9) over 30 appearances (2 starts) during his 2024 senior season at Missouri State University, ranking 2nd in the Missouri Valley Conference in appearances and 8th in program history. The right-hander fanned 78 batters in 63.0 career innings (11.1 SO/9) over three seasons of collegiate play, missing his 2023 junior campaign due to injury. The St. Louis, Mo. native earned second team all-Metro Catholic Conference honors in two consecutive years while prepping at Christian Brothers High School.

RHP JOEY DANIELSON (17th round, 525th overall) – The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Danielson was a 2024 All-Summit League First Team selection after recording a conference-best 11 saves in his senior campaign at North Dakota State University. He totaled a 1-5 record, 4.85 ERA (21 ER/39.0 IP) and 39 strikeouts over 28 relief outings this spring, his third season as a full-time pitcher after converting from catcher prior to the start of 2021. The Eden Prairie, Minn. native was rated as the 9th-best player and 2nd-best backstop in Minnesota by Prep Baseball Report following his senior year at Eden Prairie High School in 2021.

RHP KADYN LEON (18th round, 555th overall) – Leon, 18, was named to the All-Central Texas high school team and was named Lake Travis High School (Austin, Tex.) Pitcher of the Year following his senior season for Panthers. On April 23, he posted 8.0 shutout innings, allowing two hits while fanning 12 in a Lake Travis 1-0 win. As a junior, the right-hander posted a 7-2 record and 0.11 ERA with 92 strikeouts, earning first team All-District honors. Leon is committed to play collegiately at McLennan Community College.

LHP CADE OBERMUELLER (19th round, 585th overall) – Obermueller, who turns 21 on July 28, has gone 6-4, 4.19 ERA (38 ER/81.2 IP) with 109 strikeouts in 28 appearances/15 starts across two seasons at the University of Iowa (2023-24), including 4-3, 3.92 (26 ER/59.2 IP) over 13 starts as a sophomore this spring. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound left-hander was listed among the top prospects in this year’s draft class according to both Baseball America (no. 176) and MLB Pipeline (no. 214). He was also rated as the no. 1 left-handed pitcher recruit in the state of Iowa by Prep Baseball Report following his senior year at Iowa City High School in 2022. Cade’s father, Wes, pitched five seasons in the Major Leagues (2002-05, 2007) with Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Florida (now Miami).

C MAC ROSE (20th round, 615th overall) – The 20-year-old Rose batted .354/.420/.540/.960 (70-198) with seven home runs, two triples, 12 doubles, and 35 RBI in 55 games at McLennan Community College (Waco, Tex.) this season, earning second team All-Conference honors. A right-handed batter and thrower, Rose is a native of Rockwall, Tex. and attended Rockwall High School, where he batted .324 (89-275) over his prep career and was a two-time first-team All-District selection.