Texas Baseball's biggest portal needs two weeks into the cycle

It’s been just over two weeks since Texas baseball’s unfortunately quick end to the season and the beginning of the NCAA transfer portal, marking the start of the 2026 cycle for the Longhorns.

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Though there was little movement in the beginning, Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle has now brought in three high-impact hitters to bolster his lineup, all of whom are top-100 players in the portal. Wichita State UTIL Josh Livingston can play three infield positions, Butler OF Jack Moroknek will be the Max Belyeu replacement, and Georgia State transfer Kaleb Freeman has the ability to catch, play the right side of the infield, or cover a corner outfield spot. Schlossnagle has made it a priority to target athletic lefty (or switch) bats from underperforming programs with the upside to become stars in the SEC.

God keep doing His thing! Let’s ride Austin Texas!! Hook em!🤘🤘 pic.twitter.com/he0OsooSUg

— Kaleb Freeman (@KalebFreeman5) June 14, 2025

But with much more time still left in the portal, Texas is far from done and still has a few key holes that need to be filled with talent from elsewhere. Texas’ top needs for the rest of the portal window are as follows:

Shortstop: This is the biggest conundrum Texas is facing at the moment. Unlike positions like catcher, first base, and right field, where portal players were added, Texas has literally no one to play shortstop next season. Jalin Flores is likely gone to the draft, Carson Luna hit the portal and potential incoming freshman Kayson Cunningham is most likely headed to the minors at a steep price. Texas is looking for a star here—someone who can take Flores’ spot and elevate it from what was a disappointing 2025 from the veteran.

Left-Handed Reliever: With freshman phenom Dylan Volantis likely heading to the weekend rotation, Texas has just Ethan Walker to show for when it comes to lefty arms in the bullpen. Texas doesn’t need an All-SEC arm here, and this position is very hard to find production from in the portal. It will likely be an underachiever from a top program or a JUCO/D2 ace who wants a chance to play at the highest level. Texas mostly needs depth here.

An Everyday Catcher OR First Base: Texas could do with one more surefire bat in the lineup. Freeman could catch, but he also may not be defensively sound enough to play 50+ games at the position. If he is, Texas may go plucking for a power bat in the portal that brings a higher upside than Livingston. Though a good pickup, Livingston projects better as the No. 10 hitter on the team, who can come in in case of injury or stronger pitching matchups. Adding one more starting bat outside of shortstop would give Texas a very formidable lineup in 2026.

Secondary Needs:

Another C or 1B: Depth is always nice to have. While Texas does have Cole Chamberlain waiting in the ranks as both a catcher and first baseman, it may be useful to add a veteran defensive wizard behind the plate or just a bat at first to make up for the loss of Jaquae Stewart heading to the portal. Texas needed more bats last year, and Schlossnagle won’t hesitate if the price and fit feel right.

Veteran Weekend Starter: Volantis and Luke Harrison are likely locked into the Friday and Saturday roles for next season, but that third spot is very up for grabs. Ruger Riojas looked better in a flexible long relief position, Kade Bing lost the Sunday spot early in the year, and Jason Flores or Drew Rerick may not be ready to start in the SEC just yet. Adding a veteran arm who won’t clog the development of these players long-term but has experience starting in big games could be a perfect fit in the Sunday spot.

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Project Bullpen Arm: Even if Riojas has to start, the Texas bullpen returns a closer in Max Grubbs and eight to ten other arms you can have some confidence in heading into the season. What the team could use is a project arm that makes little impact in 2026 but could be a stud in 2027. That’s basically what Aidan Moffett was this past season. Pitching coach Max Weiner will be looking for the types of traits that are hard to teach: velocity, stuff, and/or odd arm slots that trick hitters. If a player like that becomes available, Texas shouldn’t hesitate to make that addition.