OTF Premium 2026 MLB Draft Thread | Sunday 8 p.m.

[CJ Vogel]

Keeping up with members of the 2026 Texas team and Longhorn commits with MLB Draft aspirations. 

Follow along for updates.

FIRST ROUND

2. RAYS — Grady Emerson, SS, Fort Worth Christian (Texas signee)

SECOND ROUND

43. TWINS — Carson Tinney, C, Jr.

THIRD ROUND

89. RANGERS — Brody Bumila, LHP, Attleboro (Mass.) Bishop Freeman (Texas signee)

92. METS — Aiden Robbins, OF, Jr.

100. PHILLIES — Ruger Riojas, RHP, Sr.

FOURTH ROUND

106. NATIONALS — Cooper Harris, RHP, Flower Mound (Texas signee)

133. ASTROS — Beau Peterson, INF, Shawnee (Kan.) Mill Valley (Texas signee)

EIGHTH ROUND

227. TWINS — Thomas Burns, RHP, Jr.

234. CARDINALS — Luke Harrison, LHP, Sr.

13TH ROUND

376. NATIONALS — Cody Howard, RHP, Sr.

SIGNEES CONFIRMING ENROLLMENT AT TEXAS, WITHDRAWING FROM DRAFT

Easton Autrey, INF, Corsicana

Trey Rangel, RHP, The Colony

James Jorgenson, RHP, Dallas Jesuit

Phinn Beaird, LHP, Collierville (Tenn.) Briarcrest Christian

Cooper Webb, RHP, Lake Travis

Karson Reeder, RHP, The Bennett School (Tomball)

Jax Robinson, C, Waxahachie

Hayes Holton, RHP, Independence (La.) Loranger

Tucker Thompson, LHP, Gardner (Kan.) Gardner-Edgerton

AFTER THE DRAFT

— OTF has confirmed that LHP Haiden Leffew and UCLA transfer outfielder Payton Brennan are expected to be with the Longhorns for the 2027 season. Leffew and Brennan weren't selected in the draft.

— As of 8 p.m. Sunday, there was no word on the future of 2B Ethan Mendoza. Sources told OTF leading up to the draft that Mendoza wasn't expected to return in 2027. While Mendoza wasn't drafted, he has the option to sign with an MLB organization as a free agent if he wants to begin his professional career.

[CJ Vogel]

The Draft starts at noon

[CJ Vogel]

Final commitment rankings from ESPN MLB Draft insider Kiley McDaniel:

#2 SS Grady Emerson
#44 C Carson Tinney
#65 LHP Brody Bumila
#74 OF Aiden Robbins
#103 RHP Ruger Riojas
#119 RHP Cooper Harris
#126 3B Beau Peterson
#137 RHP James Jorgensen
#157 RHP Hayes Holton
#184 RHP Trey Rangel
#218 C Jax Robinson

[CJ Vogel]

[CMGROSS]

Do you see any guys pulling their names out? Seen that quite a bit already 

[CJ Vogel]

10 minutes ago, CMGROSS said:

Do you see any guys pulling their names out? Seen that quite a bit already 

Feel like it would’ve happened by now. Only 20 mins from first pick. There were some notable name withdrawals in the last six hours, however. 

[Neil Leininger]

Bumila has a UCL problem. Might get him on campus afterall.

[CJ Vogel]

UCLA SS Roch Cholowsky is the expected No. 1 pick by the Chicago White Sox. 

[Jeff Howe]

This is the most asinine broadcast schedule ever.

Why do we need 30 minutes of banter before the first pick?

 

[UTexas]

3 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

This is the most asinine broadcast schedule ever.

Why do we need 30 minutes of banter before the first pick?

 

Ad revenue. 

[CJ Vogel]

 

[Jeff Howe]

4 minutes ago, UTexas said:

Ad revenue. 

I know. It's still ridiculous.

[Jeff Howe]

That'll be the second time in three years that the Rays have taken a top Texas signee in the first round of the draft. They took Theo Gillen with the 18th pick in 2024.

[UTexas]

Just now, Jeff Howe said:

I know. It's still ridiculous.

Agreed. It’s the way it’s done now days. 
 

it does suck pretty bad though. 

[CJ Vogel]

Quite a price tag. 

[UTexas]

2 minutes ago, CJ Vogel said:

Quite a price tag. 

Welp. 

[Jeff Howe]

@Blake Munroe reported it late in the week, but this has been the expectation internally at Texas with Emerson. The staff knew he wasn't making it to campus, barring something completely unexpected.

[Alex Butler]

4 minutes ago, CJ Vogel said:

Quite a price tag. 

Can we match this in NIL lol?! Good for him and his family! Hope my son can do that someday!

[Alex Butler]

8 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

That'll be the second time in three years that the Rays have taken a top Texas signee in the first round of the draft. They took Theo Gillen with the 18th pick in 2024.

 

[Jeff Howe]

9 minutes ago, Alex Butler said:

 

Criminally underrated movie!

 

[CJ Vogel]

UCSB LHP Jackson Flora goes 1.4 to the San Francisco Giants. 

[LonghornFan4Ever]

Just now, CJ Vogel said:

UCSB LHP Jackson Flora goes 1.4 to the San Francisco Giants. 

Tony Vitello getting a good one.

[Bobby Burton]

Peterson is one to watch. He's a Boras client and Boras is notorious for getting at least market value.

[Texas fan in Georgia]

21 minutes ago, Jeff Howe said:

@Blake Munroe reported it late in the week, but this has been the expectation internally at Texas with Emerson. The staff knew he wasn't making it to campus, barring something completely unexpected.

May be a silly question but genuinely curious, what’s the point in committing if your already expected to be a top 5 draft pick? How does that process play out?

[Jeff Howe]

2 minutes ago, Texas fan in Georgia said:

May be a silly question but genuinely curious, what’s the point in committing if your already expected to be a top 5 draft pick? How does that process play out?

Two reasons:

1. You want as much leverage as possible when negotiating your contract/signing bonus.\

2. If something unexpected happens, you've got another option.