2026 MLB Draft Preview: Jared Grindlinger scouting report.<\/p>\n
The 2026 is about a month away \u2014 the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 \u2014 so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers<\/a> could select with their top picks. The Rangers\u2019 first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at Huntington Beach, California, two-way player Jared Grindlinger.<\/p>\n Jared Grindlinger is a 6\u20193\u201d, 185 lb. lefthanded hitter and thrower who is matriculating from Huntington Beach High School in California. Grindlinger is one of the youngest players in this year\u2019s draft class, having just turned 17 this past April. Grindlinger was originally going to be in the 2027 draft class, but reclassified four months ago to being draft-eligible in 2026. He is committed to the University of Tennessee, where his older brother, Trent, is a freshman who has been the Volunteers\u2019 starting catcher this year.<\/p>\n As a hitter, the reports on Grindlinger describe him as contact-oriented, without a lot of present power, but with a build and swing that projects for power in the future. BP describes him as having \u201celite\u201d contact ability and strike zone control.<\/p>\n Defensively, Grindlinger plays the outfield, though his lack of speed means he\u2019s probably a corner outfielder, with right field being the best fit due to his arm. His speed will probably decrease as he fills out, which could result in him ending up at first base.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n On the mound, Grindlinger is \u201call about projection,\u201d per MLB Pipeline, which notes that his present stuff isn\u2019t all that impressive. His fastball has touched 96 but is generally in the low 90s, with a slider that is a work in progress. His changeup is seen as his best offspeed pitch, with MLB Pipeline noting he has thrown both a circle change and a kick change.<\/p>\n Baseball America has Grindlinger\u00a0at #17 on their board<\/a>. MLB Pipeline has Grindlinger\u00a0at #18 on their board<\/a>. Kiley McDaniel\u00a0puts Grindlinger at #11 on his top 150 list<\/a>. Keith Law\u2019s rankings have Grindlinger\u00a0at #12 on his board<\/a>. Fangraphs\u00a0does not have Grindlinger on their board<\/a>. Baseball Prospectus has Grindlinger at #15\u00a0on their top 30 draft board<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the\u00a0most recent Baseball America mock draft<\/a>, Carlos Collazo has Grindlinger going to the Nationals at #11, and also mentions him in connection with several other teams in the early teens.\u00a0Jim Callis\u2019s June 4 mock draft<\/a>\u00a0has Grindlinger going to the Nationals at #11.\u00a0Keith Law\u2019s May mock draft<\/a>\u00a0has Grindlinger going to the Guardians at #19. Law\u2019s June 10 mock draft<\/a> has Grindlinger going to the Rangers at #18.\u00a0Kiley McDaniel\u2019s May 29 mock draft<\/a>\u00a0has Grindlinger going to the Nationals at #11.<\/p>\n Grindlinger is a really interesting draft candidate. His re-classifying just five months before the draft means that teams had not focused on him previously as much as other high schoolers who were draft-eligible this year. His being so young means that there\u2019s much more projecting that has to be done with him, as well as the fact that as a two-way player he has not focused on either pitching or hitting as much as a non-two-way player would have at this point. To put his youth into context, on draft day, Grindlinger will be roughly five months older than Sebastian Walcott was when the Rangers signed him.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Grindlinger is a high upside, high risk guy right now, and the chances are good that he will be off the board when the Rangers pick. If he\u2019s not, the Rangers, who have two way teenagers Josh Owens and Seong-Jung Kim playing in the ACL this year, would have the opportunity to add another youngster with two-way potential to the system.<\/p>\n Previously:<\/p>\n