TCU Horned Frogs outfielder Chase Brunson (15) bats in the third inning of the Texas LonghornsÕ game against the TCU Horned Frogs at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, Friday, April 19, 2024. Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Could TCU Baseball Have Multiple First-Round Draft Picks Next Year?

Originally posted on TCU Horned Frogs on SI
By JD Andress | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 7:45 PM ET

Despite the 2025 MLB Draft wrapping up this week, it's never too early for 2026 mock drafts to start rolling in.

The TCU Horned Frogs, which had an extremely young team in the 2025 season, return the majority of that talent on their quest to not only return to Omaha but also win the first national championship in program history.

This 2026 roster is expected to be the Horned Frogs' most talent-rich team under Head Coach Kirk Saarloos. They can potentially have three first-round picks in next year's draft in Philadelphia, which would be a program record.

Three Picks In The First Round

Sawyer Strosnider is the top projected Horned Frog. He is currently projected to go in the first round next year and is coming off a freshman All-American season that saw him named Freshman of the Year by Perfect Game.

Well that was fun. Anyway, here's my 2026 Draft Board pic.twitter.com/FuwbTepgUA
— Azad Earl (@Data_prospects) July 14, 2025

He paced the team with a .360 batting average, and produced a quadruple-double season - ten homeruns, stolen bases, triples, and doubles. His OPS from his freshman season rivals that of Brayden Taylor and Luken Baker, both elite company to be a part of.

Centerfielder Chase Brunson is the next Horned Frog mocked in the first round, expected to go around the 15-20 range.

Brunson has quietly been one of the most consistent TCU hitters since stepping on campus in 2024. He has a career .306 average and a slugging percentage over .500. The California native saw his home run triple this last season, jumping from four to twelve, showing an increase in power that saw him shoot up draft boards for 2026.

The last member of TCU projected to go in the first round is the right-handed flamethrowing starter Tommy LaPour. The Wichita State transfer stepped into the Friday night role this year and thoroughly dominated, rivaling a performance Frog fans saw on the mound from Tommy LaPour the season before.

After a summer playing for the Stars and Stripes on Team USA, LaPour will head back to Fort Worth hoping to cement himself as the third Horned Frog to go in next year's MLB Draft.

While the draft is still a whole year away and many things can change between now and then, a strong showing next season should cement the three players in TCU history.

This article first appeared on TCU Horned Frogs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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