Tag: Theo Gillen

Talented Longhorn commits selected in first round of MLB Draft

Two Texas commits, Bryce Rainer and Theo Gillen, made headlines by being selected in the first round

Players around the country saw their dreams come true on Sunday night in the first two rounds of the MLB Draft. Two Texas commits, Bryce Rainer and Theo Gillen, made headlines by being selected in the first round. While the talented shortstops are committed to Texas, they now have an opportunity to start their professional careers and bypass joining the Longhorns.

Rainer heard his name called first, as the Detroit Tigers selected him with the 11th overall pick. Entering the draft, the Texas native was ranked second-best high school player behind Konnor Griffin. He dominated at the plate this season, with a .392 batting average. He also drove 13 runs and was impressive on the mound with a 1.46 ERA. He is expected to be the Tigers shortstop of the future and has received Corey Seager comparisons.

Shortly after Rainer was selected, Gillen heard his name called. The Westlake High School product was selected 18th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays. He was one of the best pure high school hitters in the draft and can hit for power. While he played a lot of shortstop in high school, the Rays plan to use him in the outfield.

Although the Longhorns were excited to have Rainer and Gillen in the lineup, they now have to prepare for life without them. The duo has the potential to be future stars, but they wouldn’t have been selected in the first round if teams didn’t believe they were ready to go pro.

Over the next few months, it will be interesting to see who will take their place on a team with high expectations.