Christopher Marcellus and Julian Olivo are regulars at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex, Presented by Toyota. But they spent Friday, January 16 through Monday, January 20 on the fields at Tempe Diablo Stadium, the Spring Training home of the Los Angeles Angels.

They were participating in the fourth annual Dream Series, an amateur baseball experience designed around developing and diversifying the talent pool of pitchers and catchers in the sport and hosted by Major League Baseball and USA Baseball in connection with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

“The highlight of my experience was seeing all of the kids of color, just like me, come together and play an elite level of baseball. A lot of us are the only players of color where we come from, so it was very nice to see - especially as pitchers and catchers,” Marcellus said.

Marcellus (sophomore, Sachse High School) and Olivo (senior, Pinkston High School) were among the athletes receiving instruction from former MLB managers including Ron Washington, Mike Scioscia, and Jerry Manuel. Former MLB players, including former Texas Rangers pitcher and current Special Assistant to the General Manager Darren Oliver, were also on hand.

The weekend also included presentations on the collegiate and professional process, as well as alternative careers within baseball. And college recruiters and professional scouts were in attendance over the weekend.   

Special Guests

Texas Rangers prospects Sam Huff, Steele Walker, Jason Bahr, and Matt Whatley, in town for the team’s annual Winter Mini-Camp, stopped by the Academy’s Winter Training Program on Wednesday to work with Academy athletes. Brett Martin, Joe Barlow, Tyler Phillips, Eli White, Joe Palumbo, and Demarcus Evans were on hand for Thursday’s activities. 

Texas Rangers Coaches Clinic

Texas Rangers Manager Chris Woodward and members of his Major League coaching staff will be at the Academy on Saturday, January 25 to host the annual Texas Rangers Coaches Clinic.

The clinic is free and targeted to coaches of all ages and skill levels. Registration is available at https://www.mlb.com/rangers/forms/tex-coaches-clinic.  

Winter Academy Training Program

The Winter Academy Training Program is underway. Programming runs through February 27.

Monday and Wednesday sessions will be for 18U baseball and softball players and run from 6:30-9:00 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday sessions will be for 12U baseball and softball players and from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Registration is available at texasrangers.com/academy.