Former Tennessee star AJ Russell lands over-slot deal with Rangers
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Former Tennessee star right-hander AJ Russell agreed to a contract with the Texas Rangers that is well over the slot value for where he was selected in the 2nd round of the draft earlier this month.
According to Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline, Russell’s deal is worth $2.6 million, much higher than the slot value of $1,846,700 for the 52nd overall selection.
Russell returned for the Volunteers late last season after undergoing elbow surgery. He was expected to get an over-slot deal from Texas that was more appropriate for a 1st-round pick, and that’s exactly what happened. With Russell being considered a first-round-level talent before suffering the injury, it was likely that his deal with the Rangers would far exceed what was slotted for somebody drafted in his spot.
According to Callis’s scouting report, Russell’s fastball reaches 98 mph with “crazy metrics.” Russell also features a “sweeping” slider in the low-80s, so his change of speeds is extraordinary.
Russell is 21 years old and in a shortened 2025 season because of the injury, he went 2-1 with a 3.55 ERA, striking out 36 batters in only 25.1 innings. He posted an impressive 2.70 ERA for his entire collegiate career, with 104 strikeouts in 42 appearances.
He was slated as the No. 70 prospect by MLB Pipeline and the No. 37 prospect by Baseball America going into the draft.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
