Ten rounds into the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft it’s pretty obvious what the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros need immediate help at certain positions.
It’s third base for the Rangers. Texas made Texas Tech’s Josh Jung the eighth overall pick. The 21-year-old Jung (6-2, 215) is looking to get a contract in the neighborhood of $5.18 million.
If not Jung, then maybe Baylor’s Davis Wendzel will be the next third baseman for Texas. He was a first round pick in the 1B category.
Texas also picked infielder Cody Freeman (5-10, 165), an 18-year-old schoolboy star from Etlwanda High School.
The Rangers last five picks were all pitchers. They took Baylor southpaw Cody Bradford with the 175th pick in the sixth round. Florida schoolboy Brandon Sproat (6-2, 175) went in the seventh round to Texas.
The final three selections Tuesday were small college right-handers. There was John Matthews (6-1, 190) of Kent State, Zak Kent (6-3, 205) of Virginia Military Institute, Joe Corbett (6-5, 230) of West Texas A&M.
Right-hander Ryan Garcia (6-0, 180) of UCLA was the Rangers’ third round pick. Justin Slaten (6-4, 197) was taken in the fourth round, and is another right-handed pitcher.
Astros select California catcher first
Houston’s first pick was California Bears catcher Korey Lee (6-2, 205).
It’s evident the Astros were searching for a centerfielder. Their third round pick was Michigan’s Jordan Brewer (6-1, 195). Eighteen-year-old Colin Barber of Pleasant Valley High School (Calif.), is the Astros’ fourth round selection, and he is a centerfielder.
Campbell University’s (N.C.) Matthew Barefoot (6-0, 205) is a centerfielder taken in the sixth round. Luis Guerrero (5-11, 185) is a centerfielder from Miami Dade Community College, and was selected in the eighth round.
The Astros’ other picks were right-handed pitchers. Wayne State’s Hunter Brown (6-2, 203) was the fifth round selection. Texas’ Blair Henley (6-3, 190) went in the seventh round, Oklahoma State’s Peyton Battenfield (6-4, 224) in the ninth round, then Southern Cal’s C.J. Stubbs (6-3, 200) in the 10th round.