Former Wayland Baptist Pioneer Arturo Disla has signed a contract with Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers.
Disla signed with the Rangers today at the team's complex in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, where he will start his professional career playing for the Rangers' Rookie League team. Disla is a native of La Vega, DR.
Since earning NAIA Honorable Mention All-American honors for the Pioneers last spring, Disla has been playing for the Chillicothe Paints in the Prospect League, a collegiate summer league. He was leading the Prospect League in home runs and RBIs at the time he signed with the Rangers as an undrafted free agent.
Disla is the seventh WBU Pioneer to sign an MLB contract and the first in a dozen years. Others are pitcher Marcus Limon (undrafted free agent, Twins, 2011); pitcher and current WBU head baseball coach Todd Weldon (27th round draft, Mets, 2010);Â J.J. Pierce (19th round, Athletics, 2001);Â Nathan Culwell (32nd round, Reds, 2000); Ryan McDaniel (free agent, Padres, 1997); and outfielder Michael Reyes (49th round, Marlins 1993; 26th round, Marlins 1994).
"Arturo is very grateful for the two years that he was here at Wayland. He not only grew as a baseball player, but most importantly as a young man," Weldon said. "The Texas Rangers organization is very excited to see him play with a Texas uniform on."
A 6-foot-1, 240-pound sophomore first baseman, Disla paced the Pioneers and was third in the Sooner Athletic Conference last season with a .428 batting average. His 71 hits, 62 RBIs and .490 on-base percentage also led the team while his dozen homers and .777 slugging percentage were second. Disla's 22 doubles tied for the lead in the SAC.
Before being named an all-American, Disla was seleted to the All-SAC First Team as a utility player. That followed All-SAC Second Team recognition in 2022 when, as a third baseman, he hit .280 with 17 homers.
Disla transferred to Wayland from Southeastern Community College (Iowa).
