Texas Longhorns MLB Draft Preview

One of the most important days in the baseball calendar is upon us. Starting at 6 p.m. tonight, the MLB Draft will officially begin, marking the ever-important shift from high school and college ball to the pros.

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This can be the most important day of the year for teams on both the pro and college sides, as the decisions players make regarding their future can drastically change the path to a World Series—whether it be in the long term for an MLB team or the short term for a college program like the Texas Longhorns.

Tonight’s draft is a significant one for Texas. No team has sent more players to the MLB Draft in the history of the event, and the Longhorns are bound to see multiple players turn over from college to the pros.

This year’s draft will work in two parts. First, the first three rounds will be broadcast on MLB Network and ESPN on Sunday night, with the entirety of rounds 4–20 taking place on Monday, beginning at 11:30 a.m. EST. This year’s draft, held in Atlanta, will be kicked off by the Washington Nationals with the first pick, followed by the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners.

For Texas, this first day is one of the most important. Using MLB.com’s Top 250 draft prospects list, three very prominent names rank in the top 35 players.

The first name that sticks out is Max Belyeu, ranked as the No. 34 prospect in the nation. Belyeu has been a star at Texas for the last two seasons, winning Big 12 Player of the Year in 2024 before spending most of 2025 on the IL with a hand injury. Belyeu seemed like a surefire first-rounder heading into the season with a chance to ascend into the top 10 thanks to his smooth lefty swing and immense power, but a lack of playing time in 2025 moved him down the rankings.

While any sort of pick in the first two rounds guarantees some good money, there is still reason to monitor this situation. The MLB Draft is different from the NFL and NBA—players are able to negotiate their own deals with the teams that draft them. Each pick has a “draft slot value,” an average salary that a player drafted in that spot is expected to be worth. If Belyeu doesn’t like the landing spot and doesn’t like the money he is offered, he can choose to return to school for one more year. It’s unlikely, but slipping out of the first round could make that a possibility.

The other two names are a bit more interesting, as neither has even played a game in burnt orange. High school stars SS Kayson Cunningham (No. 14) and 3B Gavin Fein (No. 22) are the most important players to watch in today’s first round. Cunningham is one of the best prep prospects in the nation and may be the best pure hitter in the draft, but his stock has fallen a bit this past season, mostly because of other players rising. Fein is an all-around third baseman who has been seen as a future first-rounder for some time now.

Draft slot value becomes important with these two. In general, teams have to pay up for high school prospects. They have all the leverage. In today’s age, why would I sign for my slot value when I could go to college for 2–3 years and make all of that in NIL? This will slightly move Cunningham and Fein down the board, but likely not out of the first. With that draft capital, they would be unlikely to make it to Austin.

The other two names to note are C Rylan Galvan (176) and SS Jalin Flores (235). You won’t hear these names tonight, but they still have the ability to return to school if they don’t like their draft position. Texas has their replacements signed in Carson Tinney and Temo Becerra, but both players do have the option to return.

Jared Spencer (113) is the only other Longhorn in the top 250, as fellow graduates Kimble Schuessler and Andre Duplantier II will be fighting for a chance to be drafted near the end.

Lastly, Texas has three more prep players in the top 250: RHP Brett Crossland (96), LHP Robert Xavier Mitchell (196), and OF Anthony Pack Jr. (240). Crossland is both Texas’ most likely freshman arm to pitch this year and their most likely not to make it to campus, as late third-round draft capital may be enough to sway him to the majors. The 6’5″ righty is one of Arizona’s best pitching prospects in years, with a great fastball-changeup combo.

Mitchell is another pitcher who is highly touted, but he is much more likely to make it to campus than Crossland. Pack would be Texas’ most important addition for the 2025 season, as his elite speed and strong two-way play make him a high-level backup at the centerfield position. He may be Texas’ fourth outfielder already.

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That marks up to 11 names to keep an eye out for over the next two days, a testament to the amount of talent Jim Schlossnagle’s team has had and will have moving forward. A dream world sees one of Cunningham, Fein, or Belyeu making it back to Austin, but you shouldn’t get your hopes up. For now, it’s all about cheering on these young men in the most important moments of their young careers.