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Rangers Face Monday Deadline to Sign High-School Pitchers

7/18/2026

33 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The Texas Rangers must sign most of their 2026 MLB Draft picks by 4 p.m. on Monday, July 27, 2026.
The team used its first three selections on high-school players, selecting left-handed pitcher Gio Rojas at #16, the draft’s first high-school pitcher.
They drafted left-handed pitcher Brody Bumila in the third round despite a damaged UCL and will pay him a first-round-level bonus funded by $2,500 bonuses given to sixth- through tenth-round picks.

History

Historical Context

When the Rangers chose left-hander Matt Purke seventh overall in the 2009 Rule 4 draft, they missed the June signing deadline, so Commissioner Bud Selig granted a compensatory 15th-overall pick in 2010. The club, with 68 first-round selections—37 pitchers—has often used sizable bonuses to lock up young talent, a pattern now seen in the 2026 deadline for Gio Rojas and Brody Bumila.

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Story summary

The Texas Rangers must sign most of their 2026 MLB Draft picks by 4 p.m. on Monday, July 27, 2026.
The team used its first three selections on high-school players, selecting left-handed pitcher Gio Rojas at #16, the draft’s first high-school pitcher.
They drafted left-handed pitcher Brody Bumila in the third round despite a damaged UCL and will pay him a first-round-level bonus funded by $2,500 bonuses given to sixth- through tenth-round picks.

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