Position-by-position assesments heading into the Texas baseball offseason

The transfer portal has already plucked both starters and depth alike from this Texas baseball team, most notably with rotational outfielder Tommy Farmer IV entering two days ago. Players like Farmer, as well as recent entrant Jaquae Stewart and outfielder/left-handed pitcher Ace Whitehead, were seen as, at a minimum, rotational options for the Longhorns for the 2026 season. However, the churn of rosters and lack of promises for specific spots can make it hard to hold onto players of their caliber.

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Texas baseball remains in a strong financial position, and with the players already on the roster, shoring up depth and identifying true difference-makers in the portal will be a top priority for head coach Jim Schlossnagle. This will now be his first full offseason at the helm, usually the period when large-scale changes happen in terms of personnel.

Each position is in a unique spot heading into the year, so Inside Texas will dive into each to figure out where Texas stands with the portal and the MLB Draft looming.

Catcher:
Every move regarding this position hinges on whether Rylan Galvan returns. Unfortunately, the draft is held two weeks after the portal window closes, making it hard to project anything from an outsider’s point of view. Schlossnagle probably has a better idea himself.

Galvan returning would be a significant addition. He may have been the best catcher in college baseball last year. Behind him, it’s thin, as rising sophomore Cole Chamberlain is the only returner from last year’s roster. His potential is sky-high, already possessing fantastic vision at the plate, but he isn’t ready to start next year. There’s also incoming freshman Presley Courville, a strong athlete but not ready to play just yet. This position will either be addressed in the portal or depend on Galvan’s return.

got the call 📞#HookEm | @GalvanRylan pic.twitter.com/JGG8vYAyii

— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) June 6, 2025

First Base:
Kimble Schuessler has exhausted his eligibility, and Stewart is in the portal, making this position completely new for the 2026 season. Wichita State transfer Josh Livingston is the current frontrunner, having played both first and second for the Shockers last year. Outside of him, Casey Borba has the ability to slide over to first, as does Chamberlain. This position may be set for the offseason.

Second Base:
Not much to note here. Ethan Mendoza still has two years of eligibility and will lead off every single game he’s healthy for during that time. Schlossnagle doesn’t need to worry about this spot.

Third Base:
Another position stacked with talent. Borba played there the majority of last season and was solid defensively, but Adrian Rodriguez may be the one gunning for that spot in 2026 when fully healthy. Both players will have spots in the lineup, but each has the flexibility to play other positions.

There’s also Gavin Fien, one of the top prospects in the nation for the 2025 draft. He will likely skip college to head to the pros, but if he somehow makes it to campus, he will have a similar freshman impact to Rodriguez’s. That designated hitter spot would be a great start for him.

Shortstop:
Another infield position dependent on the draft. Jalin Flores was really poor offensively in the back half of the year but is still seen as a player likely to go in the first five rounds. This is a spot where Schlossnagle is looking aggressively in the portal to find a star, so his plan may already be in place to look elsewhere.

Flores could come back, Rodriguez could move to shortstop, or Kayson Cunningham could come to campus instead of heading to the minors. All three of those options feel unlikely, which is why the portal seems like the best option for Texas.

Outfield:
Currently, there are two starters: center fielder Will Gasparino and left fielder Jonah Williams. As much as Gasparino struggled at the plate to end the year, he’s an All-SEC-level defender at one of the most important defensive positions with very high potential. Schlossnagle won’t want to waste that.

There are still a lot of questions elsewhere. Will Max Belyeu return despite being a projected first-rounder? Does Easton Winfield have the ability to be a difference-maker in 2026? Could Rodriguez stick in left field for the entire season? Texas may have five players ready to play in the outfield already, but adding a right-handed bat to replace Farmer might not be a bad idea. The team is getting a lot of help from high school with Anthony Pack Jr., a potential day-one player, alongside William Hill and Maddox Monsour. Fien could also play outfield if he makes it to campus.

Starting Pitching:
Despite how last year went, this is actually a spot Inside Texas has a good deal of confidence in. It all stems from Max Weiner being a top assistant and developer in the nation and what one offseason can do for three pitchers in particular. Dylan Volantis is going to be the Friday pitcher for Texas next year and has all the ability in the world to be the best in the SEC. He may just need to develop another pitch.

Luke Harrison is back as a plug-and-play Saturday guy, and Weiner now has another offseason to get Jason Flores and Drew Rerick to Sunday-level starters. These two were top-25 pitchers in last year’s class, and Flores in particular showed flashes of long-term dominance.

Outside of those four, Texas still has Ruger Riojas potentially able to start, as well as second-year pitchers Kade Bing and Bryce Navarre as southpaw options. This may not be a spot that needs to be touched.

Relief Pitching:
The biggest strength of the 2025 team still looks very promising for 2026. Max Grubbs will take over the full-time closer role that Volantis occupied, while Riojas can return to the flex long-relief spot that made him so effective early in the season. Texas returns Thomas Burns, Grayson Saunier, Hudson Hamilton, Ethan Walker, and Cody Howard, all of whom threw over 14 innings last season. They will also add a lefty to this group from the portal and utilize freshmen like Sam Cozart, Brett Crossland, and Robert X. Mitchell out of the bullpen early in the year.

Texas may not need to add many arms, as the volume of the staff looks really strong, but some very high-quality bullpen options and even a veteran starter will be considered. Still, offense seems like the spot the Longhorns will key in on this cycle.

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This team has a great group of surefire returners, headlined by Williams, Rodriguez, and Volantis. More good news could come from draft returners and big portal moves. It’s all about patience at this point in the year, as the highest-profile players are all mulling over offers from multiple SEC schools. A strong portal class could elevate Texas to as high as a top-two preseason team heading into 2026, though many of our readers may not like expectations being that high going into the year.