Dylan Dreiling signs deal with Texas Rangers following second round selection
Former Tennessee outfielder Dylan Dreiling has signed his first profession contract with the Texas Rangers after the organization selected him with the No. 65 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft last week.
According to MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Dreiling signs on for $1,287,600, which is the full slot value for the No. 65 overall pick.
2nd-rder Dylan Dreiling signs w/@Rangers for $1,287,600 (full slot 65 value). @Vol_Baseball OF, College World Series Most Outstanding Player after homering in each of three games in finals, lot of hard contact, solid to plus speed. @MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/fpII7U0ml2
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 24, 2024
Dreiling was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player after playing a key role for the Vols in Omaha while capturing their first ever national championship. The draft-eligible sophomore belted a seventh inning two-run home run in each of the three CWS Finals games against Texas A&M.
“Giddy up. He jumped up the board and really, the three guys who were at the top of the order have already gone off the board, but in the four-hole was Dylan Dreiling,” Vitello beamed while providing draft coverage for MLB Network. “He hits three homers to end the year in the championship series – was incredible for us. We talk about comps [comparisons] all the time, our strength coach [Quentin Eberhardt] would call him Honus Wagner. For those that don’t know, basically it’s an old school swing. But certainly, it works for him.”
He led the team with 75 RBI, launched 23 home runs and hit for an impressive .341 average in the cleanup spot. The Hays, Kan. native was named a Third Team All-American by D1 Baseball for his efforts this past season.
“It’s interesting. There’s a scout that I know who is one of the more reputable scouts I’ve ever come cross, he loved Dreiling out of high school,” Vitello continued. “He wanted to pay him close to a million dollars – it didn’t work out and now we see what he was talking about. He almost kind of foreshadowed when he saw him earlier this year that Dreiling was going to lead the way for us offensively. Down the stretch or in the biggest moments – the comeback against Florida State – he was the guy for us at the plate.”
They say everything is bigger in Texas, well, you won't find a player in this year's draft with bigger swings than Dylan Dreiling!@Rangers, you got a good one!#GBO // #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/Ib4LPLPRWE
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) July 15, 2024
Dreiling was considered the 72nd-best draft prospect entering the draft by MLB.com and ranked No. 73 from Baseball America.
“He just matured at a very quick rate. This was only his second year with us. He is a kid from Kansas,” the coach concluded. “A kid from a northern state who made a huge jump. In big, big moments, he’s super completive and confident, but the heart rate stays right where it needs to be.”
