Indians like Texas’ draft style

From a historical perspective, the top pick for the Texas Rangers in this year’s Major League Baseball first-year player draft looks to be a promising one for the Spokane Indians.

The Rangers selected Blake Beavan as their top selection and 17th overall, and Michael Main as the 24th pick in the first round of Thursday’s draft, which was televised for the first time on ESPN2.

“We won’t know anything initially,” Indians senior vice president Otto Klein said prior to the draft, which resumes today at 8:30 a.m. “In the past we’ve received all their top picks, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened again this year.”

Assignments will trickle in on the days to follow, but the short-season Class A Indians have received all of the Rangers’ top picks since becoming a Texas affiliate in 2003.

Last season it was Kasey Kiker, who, like Beavan, was straight out of high school.

“Last year the first-round pick was straight out of high school, but it’s hard to predict,” Indians president Andy Billig said. “The Rangers like the playing environment in Spokane – with the stadium, the fans and the playing surface, so they seem to like to send their high-level draft picks here because of that environment.”

Beavan, a 6-foot-7, 210-pound right-hander from Irving, Texas, reportedly has a commanding fastball that has been clocked up to 96 mph. He pitched for Team USA last summer, where he picked up the win over host Cuba.

“We want to be able to acquire the most talented players that we can at any given time in the draft and not outsmart ourselves,” Rangers director of minor league operations John Lombardo said in a press release. “It is rare that a drafted player will make an immediate impact on your major league club, and the areas of depth and needs within an organization can change dramatically over the time that a common prospect will develop.”

Main, another right-handed pitcher, was picked out of DeLand (Fla.) High School.

In the supplemental first round, in which some teams are awarded an extra selection for losing a free agent in the off-season, the Rangers selected Julio Borbon, a junior center fielder at the University of Tennessee, Neil Ramirez, a righty out of Kempsville High in Virginia Beach, Va., and Tommy Hunter, a sophomore right-hander from the University of Alabama.

For their second-round selection, the Rangers drafted Matthew West, a shortstop out of Bellaire (Texas) High.

Evan Reed (RHP, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) and Garrett Nash (SS/OF, Jordan HS, Sandy, Utah) were the Rangers’ respective third- and fourth-round picks.

“We love when we see the Rangers take the college kids, because those are the players that are most likely to come to Spokane,” Billig said. “We were pleased with highly regarded picks and based on the Rangers track record, it’s very likely if those players sign a contract they will come to Spokane.”

Billig expects the Indians will receive assignments beginning early next week.