2026 MLB Draft Preview: Logan Hughes scouting report.
The 2026 is about a month away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three
picks. Today we are looking at Texas Tech outfielder Logan Hughes.
Logan Hughes is a 5’11”, lefthanded hitting and throwing junior outfielder for Texas Tech whose weight is listed anywhere from 185 lbs. to 210 lbs. Undrafted out of high school in Winter Springs, Florida, he went just a half hour away to Stetson for his freshman season. He then transferred to Texas Tech, where he’s played the past two seasons. Hughes turned 21 in April.
Hughes has a quality hit tool with very good contact skills. Keith Law says he has shown he can hit “all pitch types” and can handle velocity. He’s shown good power the last two seasons at Tech, and profiles to have above-average to possibly plus power as a professional. MLB Pipeline notes that he grades out well in the analytical models because of his exit velocities and swing decisions.
Hughes is going to have to hit a lot as a professional because he is limited defensively. He’s played mostly left field in college, and profiles as either a left fielder or first baseman going forward due to his lack of speed and the fact his arm likely won’t play in right field.
As a freshman at Stetson, Hughes hit .292/.398/.515 in 208 plate appearances over 58 games, walking 27 times, striking out 30 times, and hitting 8 home runs while playing both corner positions. As a sophomore at Tech, despite playing in a more challenging conference, Hughes took a step forward, slashing .327/.411/.697 in 246 plate appearances. He walked more often than he struck out (26 to 24), and hit 19 homers. 2026 was Hughes’ best season yet, as he slashed .375/.510/.735, walking 50 times against 33 Ks in 257 plate appearances, and hitting 18 home runs.
Baseball America has Hughes at #42 on their board. MLB Pipeline has Hughes at #47 on their board. Kiley McDaniel puts Hughes at #74 on his top 150 list. Keith Law’s rankings have Hughes at #56 on his board. Fangraphs does not have Hughes on their board. Baseball Prospectus has Hughes at #20 on their top 30 draft board.
MLB Pipeline compares Hughes to Rusty Greer, which is probably enough to have folks rooting for the Rangers to take him in the second round. There are some similarities between Hughes and Aaron Zavala, who the Rangers took with the 38th pick in 2021, though Zavala showed less present power in college and more athleticism than Hughes, and to Dylan Dreiling, who the Rangers took #65 overall in 2024.
Hughes fits the Rangers’ profile for a college bat, and would make sense as a potential second or third round pick, if he makes it that far. He’s not a high ceiling guy, given his lack of speed and athleticism, and how far he makes it in the professional ranks likely depends on how well he can convert his contact ability and exit velocities into playable in-game power.
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