Texas Longhorns Star Projected as First-Round Pick in MLB Draft

With the MLB draft just over a week away, Texas Longhorns baseball is expected to send a few players to the professional level, with one Longhorn projected to be a first-round pick.

Outfielder and 2024 Big 12 Player of the Year Max Belyeu is projected to be a late pick in the first round of the MLB draft according to MLB.com.

It wasn't the year Belyeu expected at Texas this past season, as he suffered a thumb injury early in conference play that kept him on the sidelines.

An Unexpected Season for Belyeu

Belyeu would injure himself in late March in an SEC conference matchup against the Missouri Tigers and would subsequently sit out the next 26 games.

Belyeu would not see a return to play until Texas' final SEC series of the season against Oklahoma, just in time to support the Longhorns through the postseason. Though he finished the remainder of the regular and postseason 6-37 for a .162 batting average, his first-round projection was maintained due to a stellar 2024 season.

In 2024 when Belyeu won Big 12 Player of the Year, he was batting with a .329 average, 18 home runs and 53 RBI. In that same season, Belyeu was also named a second-team All-American by Perfect Game and the American Baseball Coaches Association.

The star outfielder is now expected to take his career to the next level, with MLB's Jim Callis projecting that Belyeu will be drafted with the 35th overall pick by the Seattle Mariners. Currently Belyeu is ranked as the 34th overall draft prospect in the 2025 class.

Belyeu is not the only Texas Longhorn expected to be drafted in 2025, with left-handed pitcher Jared Spencer, catcher Rylan Galvan, and shortstop Jalin Flores also listed amongst this year's draft prospects. Spencer is listed as the 113th, Galvan as the 176th and Jalin Flores as the 235th overall prospects.

Jared Spencer was also performing at an elite level this past season until a shoulder injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Galvan was a finalist for the Buster Posey award, given to the nation's best catcher, and Flores had a down year, but still touts valuable skills for an MLB team.

The 2025 draft is set to take place July 13 and 14. With Belyeu's projection, Longhorn fans may want to tune in to see the star outfielder take the first step in his pro career.