Michael Earley Continues To Strengthen 2026 Texas A&M Baseball Roster

Ahead of the 2026 baseball season, the Texas A&M Aggies continue to improve their roster, after seven players were drafted into the 2025 MLB Draft, as well as players transferring out.

So far, Michael Earley has added 10 players to his roster, and he picked up another one in Blake Labuda, he announced on social media.

Labuda, the fifth-year transfer coming from UT Tyler, has committed to Texas A&M with one remaining year of eligibility. The catcher from Colorado had a great career at UT Tyler, yet the competition should be different as he moves from Division II to Division I.

As a sophomore at UT Tyler, Labuda hit a career best .371, in 20 games played, including eight starts at catcher. In April of 2023, Labuda recorded his first career home run against Arkansas Fort-Smith, and continued to improve his at-bats.

During his junior year, Labuda got more of a chance to prove himself as he played in 48 games, including 44 starts. This season, Labuda was able to shine offensively, staying above .300 in his batting average, ranking fifth on the team, batting .318.

In his last season at UT Tyler, Labuda had one of his best seasons, batting .321, including seven home runs, and 38 RBI through 52 games played.

How will Labuda fit in with Texas A&M?

Transferring from any school is always a difficult move, yet transferring from a Division II program to a Division I is a big change. With Labuda having three excellent seasons with the Patriots, it shouldn't take too long for him to adjust.

Where do the Aggies stand in the catcher room, though? After shuffling through a couple of different catchers last season, including Jacob Galloway and Bear Harrison. Galloway, who played in 20 games last season, has transferred to Oregon State, leaving Harrison.

After improving his batting during practice and in the cages, Harrison earned the starting spot at catcher for the Aggies, as he played in 44 games. During his sophomore year, Harrison recorded a career-high seven RBIs against South Carolina, when his bat got hot.

Besides Harrison, the Aggies also have incoming sophomore Hayden Crites, who saw the field three times this previous season. The Aggies have also added Arkansas transfer Zane Becker to their roster, a very impressive player heading into his sophomore year.

With four catchers competing for the starting catching spot, it will all come down to who puts the most work in during batting practice and shows the most promise ahead of the 2026 season.