The Texas Rangers selected right-handed pitcher Cole Winn in the first round (15th overall) of the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
The 18-year-old Winn was 8-2 with a 0.20 ERA at Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, California, earning Gatorade’s California High School Player of the Year award. It marked the second straight year for Winn to claim the award, as he was named Gatorade’s 2017 Colorado High School Player of the Year at Silver Creek High School near Denver.
Winn pitched for an Orange Lutheran squad that won the USA Baseball National High School Invitational in March. The right-hander pitched the opening game of the tournament for the Lancers, posting nine strikeouts in 6.0 innings, and went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI in the championship game to help Orange Lutheran repeat as NHSI champions.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Winn has been rated as the 9th-best prospect (MLB.com) and the 10th-best prospect (Baseball America) in this year’s draft. Winn was also tabbed Baseball America’stop prospect in Southern California. He has committed to play at Mississippi State University. Winn is also rated by Baseball America as having the second-best control among high school pitching prospects.
Texas will also have the 55th overall pick in the draft’s second round, which will take place later tonight.
