The Texas Rangers selected outfielder Bubba Thompson (26th overall), shortstop Chris Seise (29th overall), and right-handed pitcher Hans Crouse (66th overall) on the first day of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Thompson hit .429 with 11 home runs, 35 RBI, and 18 stolen bases, while posting an .857 slugging percentage this season as a senior at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, AL. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Thompson, who celebrated his 19th birthday on June 9, led McGill-Toolen to the No. 1 ranking in Class 7A and the second round of the 2017 Class 7A playoffs. On the gridiron, Thompson led the Yellow Jackets to the 2015 Class 7A state football title and had scholarship offers from SEC schools.
The right-handed batter and thrower was named the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) Player of the Year and was a First Team All-State selection. Baseball America rated Thompson as the top prospect from Alabama, the 8th-best outfielder, and the 25th-best prospect overall. Thompson, a two-sport star in baseball and football, is committed to the University of Alabama for baseball.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Seise (cease) batted .413 (31-for-75) with 31 runs scored, 24 RBI, and 16 extra-base hits this season at West Orange High School in Winter Garden, FL. This is the second consecutive year the Rangers have drafted a player from West Orange, as 2016 third round pick Cole Enright also graduated from the school. In addition to West Orange, the 18-year-old Seise played for the Orlando Scorpions travel team, the same team as Texas Rangers 2016 first-round pick Cole Ragans. Seise's brother, Anthony, was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 20th round of the 2012 June Draft. Seise has committed to the University of Central Florida.
In the second round, the Rangers selected right-handed pitcher Hans Crouse out of Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, CA. The 18-year-old was a Rawlings-Perfect Game 1st Team All-American as a senior, compiling a 0.88 ERA over 67.0 innings while recording 99 strikeouts. Crouse also pitched for Team USA in the under-18 gold medal-winning game against Cuba and recorded 11 strikeouts over 7 scoreless innings. Baseball America tabbed the right-hander as the 37th-best prospect in the draft, while MLB.com had him ranked at 31. He has committed to the University of Southern California. 
The draft continues at 12 Noon tomorrow, a day that is scheduled to cover rounds 3 through 10.