The Texas Rangers have officially signed first-round pick Gio Rojas, securing one of the top high school pitching prospects from the 2026 MLB Draft.

The club selected Rojas with the No. 16 overall pick earlier this month, adding a pitcher many evaluators believed had top-10 talent. According to MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis, the left-hander agreed to a signing bonus worth $4.6 million. The slot value for the 16th overall selection was $5,051,900.

Rojas entered the draft as one of the premier prep pitchers in the country. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 8 overall prospect in the class, with many scouts considering him the top high school left-handed pitcher available.

His combination of size, athleticism, and advanced feel for pitching made him one of the safest and highest-upside arms in the draft.

The 6-foot-4 southpaw put together a dominant senior season at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Across 72 innings, Rojas posted a remarkable 0.58 ERA while striking out 124 batters, consistently overpowering opposing lineups throughout the spring.

His biggest performance came on the state's biggest stage.

In the Florida Class 7A championship game, Rojas fired 6.2 scoreless innings and struck out 12 batters, helping lead Marjory Stoneman Douglas to its sixth consecutive state title.

The outing further solidified his standing as one of the nation's elite amateur pitchers entering the draft.

Rojas' arsenal features a fastball that has continued to gain velocity, complemented by a polished mix of secondary offerings that allow him to generate swings and misses against hitters from both sides of the plate.

Scouts have also praised his ability to repeat his delivery, throw consistent strikes, and maintain his composure in high-pressure situations.

For the Rangers, landing Rojas at No. 16 represented strong value considering where many draft projections expected him to come off the board.

Texas has continued emphasizing the development of young pitching talent in recent years, and Rojas immediately becomes one of the organization's most intriguing prospects.

Now under contract, the 18-year-old will begin his professional career in the Rangers' player development system.

While high school pitchers often require patience as they adjust to professional baseball, Rojas possesses the combination of physical tools, polish, and long-term projection that gives him the potential to develop into one of the organization's top pitching prospects over the coming seasons.

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