Pitcher A.J. Russell of the University of Tennessee is the Rangers’ second round pick
Pitcher A.J. Russell of the University of Tennessee has been selected by the Texas Rangers with their second round pick, #52 overall.
Russell is listed at 6’6”, 207 lbs, and just turned 21 at the end of June. He was great out of the bullpen for Tennessee as a freshman, striking out 47 and issuing just four unintentional walks in 30.1 innings over 24 appearances. He missed most of his sophomore season due to arm issues, and ultimately needed internal brace surgery, which limited him to 25.1 innings over 12 appearances in 2025.
Russell has what MLB Pipeline describes as a “unicorn” fastball, describing it as grading out extremely well based on the analytic data due to its movement and low release point. Russell has hit 98 with his fastball, but he’s generally in the 92-94 range. He also has a slider and changeup, though those pitches need more refinement.
Baseball America had Russell at #37 on their top 500 draft board. MLB Pipline had him at #70. Kiley McDaniel had Russell at #67 on his board. Keith Law put him at #71 on his board.
Russell is someone who was seen as a potential first rounder if he had been healthy enough to pitch more in college. He has a decent floor as a reliever, though the Rangers will assuredly use him as a starter once his pro career gets going.