Three Texas Longhorns Pitchers Announce Decision for Next Season

The 2025 MLB Draft is less than a week away now, and many players around the country are gearing up to learn which professional baseball team will be selecting them.

Three Texas Longhorns pitchers from the 2025 season, have decided to withdraw their name from the draft selection process, according to reports from Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball. Ruger Riojas, Luke Harrison, and Max Grubbs will return to the Forty Acres next season to continue their quest for a national title.

The news come right between the time of the transfer portal closing for players looking for new homes and the MLB Draft, and the Longhorns have now done well in both departments with the news of three of their top arms returning.

Way-Too-Early Favorites

Despite the story of their 2025 season not ending the way they wanted, it was still a great first-season for Jim Schlossnagle's ballclub. In his first year as the skipper, he clinched the regular season SEC trophy and would clinch the No. 2 overall seed when the field of 64 was announced.

The Longhorns would fail to make it out of their regional after losing to UTSA, who would then go on to lose their super regional against UCLA. There was still a lot to build on though, with the core of the lineup returning next season, and the additions from the portal, the Longhorns won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Return of Production

Riojas and Harrison were the only qualified Longhorns' pitchers last season in terms of innings pitched, and both were the only arms to finish above 60 innings pitched in 2025.

Riojas paced the team with nine wins and three losses on the bump this season and would prove vital to the team after being used as spot starter when Jared Spencer went down with an injury. He finished the year with 62 strikeouts to just 21 walks in 69.0 innings pitched.

Harrison proved to be a consistent member of the Longhorns weekend rotation last season, consistently providing Schlossnagle's ballclub four innings or more every time he was on the bump. He would finish the season with the most innings pitched on the team (70.2) and the second most strikeouts (72).

Grubbs would become one of the most trusted arms out of the Longhorns bullpen, finishing second in appearances with 22, only one behind freshman Dylan Volantis. In 57 innings pitched, he would accumulate 61 strikeouts to just 14 walks.

The Longhorns will begin 2026 looking for their first national title in over 20 years.