Texas is already seeing the 2026 MLB Draft reshape its roster picture, and the first wave of picks hit hard.
The Longhorns’ top signee, shortstop Grady Emerson, went second overall to the Tampa Bay Rays, a move that was expected and one that points Texas straight toward trying to hold the rest of its class together. Emerson is the headliner in a signing group ranked third nationally, and the slot value attached to his pick is roughly $10.5 million.
Texas also lost one of its most productive bats from the College World Series team when catcher Carson Tinney came off the board in the second round, going 43rd overall to the Minnesota Twins. Tinney hit .326 in his lone season in Austin, put up 22 home runs and a 1.171 OPS, and added the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for top defensive catcher in the country. That pick carries a slot value of about $2.3 million.
The Longhorns then watched the draft keep moving through both the current roster and the signing class. Left-hander Brody Bumila, one of Texas’ signees, went to the Texas Rangers with the 89th pick.
The source notes that a UCL injury before the draft hurt what had looked like first-round stock, but the Rangers still bet on the 6-foot-9 lefty’s power arm. His slot value is $900,800.
A few picks later, outfielder Aiden Robbins was taken by the New York Mets at No. 92 overall. Robbins had a huge season for Texas, batting .333 with a 1.122 OPS and leading the team with 24 home runs. Most evaluators had him as a top-30 prospect, and the slot value here is about $860,000.
The first Texas pitcher off the board was Ruger Riojas, who went to the Philadelphia Phillies with the 100th pick. Riojas had one of the most electric seasons in the country when healthy, though his 3.97 ERA climbed late as he worked through shoulder pain. That selection carries a slot value of about $784,000.
The draft also reached back into Texas’ signing class again early in the fourth round, when the Washington Nationals picked Flower Mound High School product Cooper Harris. The slot value on that pick is about $733,000.
Before the draft even began, Texas had a long list of names worth tracking. Along with Emerson, Bumila and Harris, the signing class includes Brody Peterson, Trey Rangel, James Jorgensen, Easton Autrey, Phill Beaird, Lawson Behan, Reiston Durham, Hayes Holton, Bryce Krenek, Matthew Manis, Trent Maybin, Brady Murrietta, Karson Reeder, Jax Robinson, Jack Smejkal, Tucker Thompson and Cooper Webb. The current roster also featured several other draft-eligible players, including Thomas Burns, Ethan Mendoza, Haiden Leffew, Ethan Walker, Hudson Hamilton, Blake Peterson, Luke Harrison, Cal Higgins, Josh Livingston, Dariyan Pendergrass, Cody Howard, Temo Becerra, Max Grubbs, Connor McCreery and Jayden Duplantier.
Burns entered the weekend ranked by MLB.com as one of the best 250 prospects available, while Mendoza and Leffew had both attended the MLB Draft combine last month. Their draft range was less certain, which left open the possibility that they could return to Austin if the offers don’t match what they’re looking for.
Texas’ senior class also included Riojas, Harrison, Higgins, Livingston, Pendergrass, Howard, Becerra, Grubbs, McCreery and Duplantier.
Players drafted this weekend have until July 27 at 4 p.m. CT to sign with the organizations that selected them. Last season, 99.4% of players taken in the first 10 rounds signed, and 93.7% of the full 20-round class reached deals.
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