Skip to main content
Texas

Texas OF Max Belyeu selected by Colorado Rockies in 2025 MLB Draft

by: Evan Vieth07/14/25
Max Belyeu
Max Belyeu (Tim Heitman-Imagn Images)

Star slugger Max Belyeu has been taken with the 74th pick in the 2025 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies. Belyeu is the first Longhorn to be selected in this year’s MLB Draft, but the third with Texas ties, as prep prospects Kayson Cunningham and Gavin Fien were drafted to the Texas Rangers at 12 and the Arizona Diamondbacks at 18, respectively.

[Sign up for Inside Texas for $1 and get PLUS access up to the Ohio State game!]

Belyeu is a former Big 12 Player of the Year who knocked in 53 RBI with 18 home runs in 2024, notching a 1.220 OPS in Big 12 play as Texas’ best player. Just a sophomore, Belyeu was poised for a potential run at the SEC Player of the Year heading into 2025 as the face of Texas baseball’s newest era under first-year head coach Jim Schlossnagle.

2025 started well for Belyeu, getting a hit on eight of his 14 at-bats in the Shriners College Showdown with two home runs and five RBI. In the LSU series, Belyeu had four RBI and five hits, helping the Longhorns take down the best team in the SEC at the time.

Unfortunately for Belyeu, the next series became his last for a while. In a Friday game against Missouri, Belyeu jammed his thumb diving for a fly ball but seemed fine at the time. Schlossnagle sat him for the rest of the series, and the bad news continued. Belyeu had fractured his thumb and was set to miss at least the rest of the regular season, seven more SEC series for one of the best teams in the nation.

Thankfully for Texas, he made his return against Oklahoma in the team’s final regular season series, where his ninth-inning three-run home run helped give Texas the win on Friday and set them up for a series victory against their bitter rivals.

But Belyeu’s season ended quietly after that. His postseason saw him bat .167 and tally just two XBHs, home runs in Texas’ final two games. With an injury-riddled season and a poor finish, Belyeu went from a surefire first-rounder in the preseason to a question mark heading into the draft process.

That question has been answered, however, with the Rockies using their competitive balance pick to select Belyeu in between the second and third rounds. Competitive balance picks are assigned to teams based on criteria including market size and win percentage over past seasons, awarding Colorado the chance to take the slugger. Colorado is the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the nation, making it a perfect fit for the powerful Belyeu and Colorado’s first pick in the draft, MLB legacy Ethan Holliday.

[Want to be the most informed Texas Longhorns football fan? Order the 2025 edition of Thinking Texas Football today!]

Belyeu has until August 1st to sign his contract with the Rockies. If he were to not, Belyeu has one final year of eligibility and the opportunity to play one more season with the Longhorns. Though unlikely given his $1,111,000 slot value, there is still hope for one last ride with Max.

You may also like