DALLAS — Leslie A. Thompson, better known as Bubba, selected a life as a baseball player instead of accepting offers to play Quarterback for an SEC school. In 2017 the Rangers selected Bubba Thompson 26th overall in the MLB draft out of Mobile Alabama. Fun fact: Thompson attended the same high school (McGill-Toolin Catholic) as Jimmy Buffett.
As a successful dual-sport athlete in high school Thompson received a baseball scholarship and committed to play for the University of Alabama and also wanted to walk on to the football team as a quarterback. The Rangers offered him a hefty first round bonus that changed the young man’s mind.
During the Jon Daniels years the Rangers have always had a type when it comes to first round draft picks. They love drafting athletic toolsy southern high school outfielders with a lot of upside that lack refined baseball skills. This description fits Bubba Thompson fairly well, but his baseball skills are more refined than past first rounders like Jake Skole and Zach Cone.
In his first year of full season ball Thompson has performed well. Through 59 games for Low-A Hickory, he’s slugging .439 and has an OBP of .340. Of his 59 games he’s played 44 in center field and the remainder he spent in left field.
Reports indicate he shows good instincts reading fly balls in center field and takes good routes in the outfield. That time as a quarterback helped Thompson as he sports a plus arm which helps his profile stand out from other center fielders who generally don’t have arms to write home about.
At age 20, Thompson still has room to fill out his 6’2” frame and will likely show better power numbers as he adds more muscle. It's on the basepaths where Bubba has really shone as he has utilized his speed and athleticism to steal 23 bases in 27 attempts this season. This is a huge improvement going from a 50% success rate last year on 10 attempts to an 85% success rate on 27 attempts so far this year.
Where Thompson could use the most improvement is in his plate discipline. A 26.3% strikeout rate isn’t worrisome, but it should be a point of emphasis for Thompson in his second full season next year. However his walk rate of 6.2% is a cause for some worries and will likely be an area to focus on in the cages.
Of the Rangers 13 first round picks since 2011, only three have made a MLB debut, and only two of those were with the Rangers. Four of them have been traded, and only one (Joey Gallo) has played more than 20 games for Texas. The others are either out of baseball, dealing with serious injuries, or still developing in the minors.
With this recent history of Rangers first round picks not contributing in Arlington, Thompson is on a good track to buck that trend. The young outfielder will likely see out the rest of 2018 in Low-A Hickory and will then more than likely start 2019 in High-A Down East. Bubba Thompson still has a lot of work between him and Arlington, but his progress this season has rewarded the faith Texas showed drafting him in the first round.
The Rangers have long believed that they can turn one of these raw southern high school outfielders into a bona fide baseball player . With Bubba Thompson, they might finally be right.
Up Next:
Click below for more of our Top 15 Prospect List:
Will Bubba Thompson be the one to finally break the mold of unsuccessful first round picks of toolsy outfielders from the south for Texas? Let Brice know your thoughts on Twitter @80gradewhitt.
