Prospect Spotlight: Justin Lange

Justin Lange is a rarity - a player drafted out of high school who received a spring training invite. Not only that, but he pitched for a small, rural school - places often overlooked by scouts. Lange, 19, from Llano High School (Llano, Texas), was a 2020 competitive balance pick (34th overall) by the San Diego Padres, and he’s headed to spring training with the MLB team.

Lange was born in Fredericksburg, Texas, where you can find the greatest peaches on the planet (sorry, Georgia, but it’s true.) He spent his high school years in Llano, a small town in the Hill Country of Central Texas, where he had a stellar career with the Yellowjackets. Llano has a population of just over 3400, and the high school is level 3A (2A is the lowest, based on population and attendance.) To even be noticed from such a small area tells you all you need to know about this guy - his potential made him stand out in a place most big league scouts probably haven’t heard of.

Lange would have been assigned in 2020 to the AZL Padres had the season gone as usual, but after the cancellation, the 6’4 right handed pitcher was sent in September to the team’s alternate training site. 

This spring, Lange, the Padres #8 prospect, is headed back to Arizona - a 1st year player who has yet to throw a pitch in a professional game, will attend Major League spring training as a non-roster invitee.

He will likely start the 2021 season in the AZL, with a good chance to move up before long to Low-A Lake Elsinore (California League). Keep an eye on this guy as he starts his pro career - he is one of the most interesting prospects from the 2020 draft class. 

2023 update: The Padres traded Lange in March 2022 to the New York Yankees for 1B Luke Voit.

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