Texas Baseball 2025 Commit Xavier Mitchell Signing With Angels

When the 2025 MLB Draft began, programs across the country braced for the coming inevitable departure of not only key players from last season but from future reecruits as well. Keenly aware of this were the Texas Longhorns.

Not only did they see contributors from their SEC championship squad in Max Belyeu, Jared Spencer, Jalin Flores, Rylan Galvan and Grayson Saunier get drafted, they also saw incoming portal commits taken off the board. Joining them were members of the 2025 class, too, as Gavin Fien and Kayson Cunningham were both taken in the first round while Xavier Mitchell, a left-handed pitcher, was taken in the 13th by the Los Angeles Angels.

There had been plenty of speculation as to whether the left-handed pitcher would opt to make his way to The Forty Acres or began his professional career. On Friday, though, it was reported by Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo that the Plano Prestonwood Christian product would be signing with the Angels for $872,500.

Another talented member of the Longhorns' 2025 recruiting class is opting to begin his professional journey in Mitchell

The Longhorns were hoping that they could convince Mitchell to forego his name being called in the draft and lace up his cleats at UCFU Disch-Falk Field in 2026. However, it is hard to blame him for opting to make a lifelong dream come true -- especially when that dream nets you $872,500.

Getting Mitchell to campus would have undoubtedly been a big win for Jim Schlossnagle and his staff. Especially pitching coach Max Weiner, as he would have had an extremely talented arm to mold into a key piece out of the bullpen for the Longhorns. He features a strong mix of pitches, including a fastball that sits in the mid 90s and routinely gets blown by hitters.

While seeing Mitchell head off to the bigs is not what the Longhorns would have preferred, it is also not the end of the world. That blow is lessened when you factor in that the trio of Ruger Riojas, Luke Harrison and Max Grubbs chose to forego the draft and will instead be running it back in Austin in 2026.

Those three alone give the Longhorns one of the better pitching staffs in the country, as we saw how good they were under their first season with Weiner in 2025. Pair their return with a plethora of portal adds, incoming freshman and especially a second-year leap from superstar Dylan Volantis, and you have the making of something special in Austin next season.