Since the MLB Draft began in 1965, at least one Longhorn has been drafted every year, and that tradition continued as five Longhorns were selected during the 2025 draft.
As part of MLB’s All-Star Week, the draft took place July 13-14 in Atlanta, with the first three rounds of the 20-round draft beginning Sunday at 5 p.m. Central Time.
While Texas baseball kept a 44–14 overall record and ended as conference champions, its season ended early in its regional tournament. However, the team’s success during the season led four Longhorns to land on the MLB’s top 250 prospects heading into the draft.
Here’s where they landed:
Max Belyeu
— No. 74 (Colorado Rockies)
Landing with the Colorado Rockies, former junior outfielder Max Belyeu was picked 74th overall in the Competitive Balance Round, a set of draft picks that occurs between the second and third rounds. Despite missing 26 games in the 2025 season due to a thumb injury, the junior posted showstopping numbers — a .303/.410/.576 slash line alongside nine home runs and 29 RBIs. Labeled as one of the most prolific hitters in college baseball, the power hitter completed his three seasons at Texas batting .318 with 27 homers and 84 RBIs.
Jared Spencer
— No. 322 (Toronto Blue Jays)
Former senior pitcher Jared Spencer was the first from Texas to be drafted on the second day. The Toronto Blue Jays picked Spencer to head up to the major leagues as the 322nd overall pick. The left-handed reliever transferred from Indiana State after his junior season; however, Spencer was converted into a starting pitcher by head coach Jim Schlossnagle and pitching coach Max Weiner. While he missed the final six weeks of the season due to a shoulder injury that required surgery, the senior ended his season with 66 strikeouts across 52.33 innings. Spencer earned a 3.27 ERA and held opposing batters to a .215 average.
Jalin Flores
— No. 330 (St. Louis Cardinals)
Picked only a few spots after Spencer, junior shortstop Jalin Flores took the 330th overall pick, selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 11th round. Having 35 home runs in three years, Flores clinches his spot with the fifth-most home runs in program history. Despite struggling in the 2025 season, batting .239 with an .809 OPS, the junior came off a dazzling sophomore season — 18 home runs, 1.065 OPS and batting .340. Flores concluded his time at Texas batting .270 with 133 RBIs.
Rylan Galvan
— No. 376 (Chicago White Sox)
As a catcher for the best pitching staff in the conference, former junior Rylan Galvan was selected in the 13th round as the 376th pick overall by the Chicago White Sox. Over his 143-game college career, the junior batted a .279 average, accompanied by 27 home runs and 103 RBIs. However, his 2025 season is what led him to climb the draft boards and land on “The Windy City’s” plate. After producing 15 home runs with a 1.065 OPS, he led Texas in seven offensive categories, posting a .296/.452/.613 slash line.
Grayson Saunier
— No. 516 (Houston Astros)
As the final Longhorn drafted in the 2025 draft, former junior pitcher Grayson Sauiner was selected by the Houston Astros as the 516th overall pick in the 17th round. During Sauiner’s junior year and his first campaign in Austin, the Ole Miss transfer established himself as a go-to reliever. The right-hander ended the season with a 3.86 ERA, holding opposing hitters to a .237 average, one save across 12 appearances and a registered 1.25 WHIP.
Future of Texas Baseball
For the Longhorns, it’s a case of “what could’ve been,” as three Texas commits were drafted straight out of high school — No. 12 Gavin Fien (Texas Rangers), No. 18 Kayson Cunningham (Arizona Diamondbacks) and No. 379 Xavier Mitchell (Los Angeles Angels).
However, despite losing some key players, the trio of Texas pitchers — junior Ruger Riojas, sophomore Luke Harrison and junior Max Grubbs — will return for the 2026 season as they forgo the draft. Additionally, Schlossnagle and his staff have been booked and busy making moves this offseason, refurbishing their roster with high school commits and portal transfers.
