Round 1, Pick 11: Chris Hacopian (Nationals) - Slot Value: $6,133,500
---------------Signed 7/15 - $5,700,000 - Tweet
Round 1, Pick 25: Trey Ebel (Brewers) - Slot Value: $3,696,000
---------------Signed 7/17 - $2,800,000 - Tweet
Round 2, Pick 54: Connor Comeau (Rangers) - Slot Value: $1,805,300
---------------Signed 7/21 - $2,500,000 - Tweet
Round 2, Pick 62: Caden Sorrell (Cubs) - Slot Value: $1,487,200
---------------Signed 7/19 - $1,650,000 - Tweet
Round 3, Pick 81: Gavin Grahovac (Angels) - Slot Value: $1,018,500
---------------Signed 7/21 - $1,247,500 - Tweet
Round 3, Pick 86: Caden Ferraro^ (Cardinals) - Slot Value: $943,600
---------------Signed 7/16 - $800,000 - Tweet
Round 4, Pick 120: Shane Sdao (Mets) - Slot Value: $645,100
---------------Signed 7/18 - $642,600 - Tweet
Round 5, Pick 156: Lucas Davenport (Red Sox) - Slot Value: $454,100
---------------Signed 7/17 - $350,000 - Tweet
Round 5, Pick 160: Bear Harrison (Yankees) - Slot Value: $437,200
---------------Signed 7/16 - $437,200 - Link
Round 6, Pick 188: Isaac Morton (Cubs) - Slot Value: $344,400
---------------Signed 7/20 - $344,400 - Link
Round 11, Pick 316: Weston Moss (Nationals) - Slot Value: $150,000*
---------------Signed 7/22 - $172,500 - Link
Round 12, Pick 367: Brandon Arvidson (Cubs) - Slot Value: $150,000*
---------------Signed 7/21 - $150,000 - Link
Round 13, Pick 396: Jett Johnston (Tigers) - Slot Value: $150,000*
---------------Signed 7/22 - $197,500 - Link
Round 14, Pick 424: Jase Evangelista (Red Sox) - Slot Value: $150,000*
---------------Signed 7/20 - $190,000 - Link
Round 18, Pick 536: Jake Duer (Diamondbacks) - Slot Value: $150,000*
---------------Signed 7/19 - $20,000 - Tweet
Round 18, Pick 537: Max Kaufer (Rangers) - Slot Value: $150,000*
---------------Signed 7/21 - $? - Link
Round 19, Pick 564: Clayton Freshcorn (Cardinals) - Slot Value: $150,000*
---------------Returning to A&M! - Tweet
Free Agent Signing: Cade Climie^^ (Phillies) - Slot Value: $150,000*
---------------Signed 7/13 - $? - Tweet
Free Agent Signing: Jacob Galloway (Mariners) - Slot Value: $150,000*
---------------Signed 7/18 - $? - Tweet

*Maximum offer without using the bonus pool allocation
^Former Aggie student (2023 Fall ball)
^^Former Aggie student (2022 & 2023 Fall ball)


With the draft now just 39 days away (July 11th - 13th), we should start to see a lot more projections, mock drafts, prospect lists etc. I thought I'd lump everything to watch out for in one post. This year's draft will last 2 3 days with Round 1 taking place Saturday, July 11th starting at 12:30 CT, Rounds 2-10 Sunday, July 12th, and Rounds 11-20 on Monday, July 13th Rounds 1-4 on Saturday, July 11th starting at 12:00pm CT and Rounds 5-20 on Sunday, July 13 starting at 10:30am CT.

This is also the 10th anniversary of the draft threads with over 60 Aggies drafted or signed via free agency in that time frame, so Happy Anniversary!

Draft Targets:

Seniors/Graduates
Elijah Batista
Travis Chestnut
Grant Cunningham
Ethan Darden
Jake Duer - Pick #536
Wesley Jordan
Blake LaBuda
Ben Royo
Josh Stewart

Juniors
Blake Binderup
Hunter Bond retired
Clayton Freshcorn - Pick #564
Gavin Grahovac - Pick #81
Chris Hacopian - Pick #11
Bear Harrison - Pick #160
Weston Moss - Pick #316
Shane Sdao - Pick #120
Caden Sorrell - Pick #62
Juan Vargas (in the portal)

Draft-Eligible Sophomores & R-Freshmen (Turn 21 within 45 days of the draft (August 25th))
Sam Erickson (in the portal)
Sawyer Farr (in the portal)
Gavin Lyons

High School Recruits
John David Alexander OF/RHP
Connor Comeau SS - Pick #54
Trey Ebel SS - Pick #25
Harper Gates SS/RHP
Chandler Hart LHP
Ryan Harwood OF
Catcher Hopkins C
Matthew Kelley SS/RHP
Cayden King RHP
Josh Livingston LHP decommitted
Evan Mihaly LHP
Drew Milner RHP
Graeson Register RHP decommitted
CJ Sampson INF/RHP
Trent Vilade 1B/RHP
Elijah Williams LHP

D1/JUCO Transfers In
Lane Arroyos 1B/OF - WKU
Jack Bell INF - TCU (2024 Aggie INF)
Alec Blair OF - OU - (not draft eligible)
Trent Collier LHP - OU - (not draft eligible)
Wade Cooper RHP - Texas St. - (not draft eligible)
Luke Ekdall RHP - Blinn CC
Jase Evangelista RHP - UNLV - Pick #424
Caleb Kimble RHP - UH - (not draft eligible)
Tyler Minick INF - UConn
Johnny Nuanez RHP - Wichita St.
Ben Polleschultz LHP - Blinn CC decommitted
Logan Prisco LHP - USC - (not draft eligible)
Joseph Sandusky INF - Weatherford CC
Nate Savoie C/OF - Clemson - (not draft eligible)
Dylan Schlaegel OF - DBU
Justin Tiller C/INF - Cypress CC (California)
Jarrett Williams LHP - Lamar - (not draft eligible)

Other Names to Follow
Brett Antolick (2024 Aggie P)
Brandon Arvidson (2023 Aggie P) - Pick #367
Jason Bodin (2024 Aggie P)
Lucas Davenport (2023 Aggie P) - Pick #156
Jacob Galloway (2025 Aggie C) - FA
Jamal George (2025 Aggie OF)
Jett Johnston (2024 Aggie P) - Pick #396
Max Kaufer (2023-2024 Aggie C) - Pick #537
Isaac Morton (2024-2025 Aggie P) - Pick #188
Carl Schmidt (2024 Aggie INF)
Tab Tracy (2023-2024 Aggie OF)
Justin Vossos (2024 Aggie INF)


The draft will consist of 20 rounds for the sixth (and maybe final time with 20 rounds depending on how the MLBPA and MLB execs negotiations go) year in a row. Rounds 1-10 have an assigned slot value per spot and rounds 11-20 have a maximum slot value of $150,000 each. A team can pay above or below slot value if the player and team agree, but if a team does not sign a player taken anywhere in the first 10 rounds, that slot value is forfeited and cannot be used towards other players. A player taken in rounds 11-20 can sign for any amount, but anything over $150,000 will reduce that team's pool of bonus money. Because of these rules, players taken in the first 10 rounds are usually going to sign 99% of the time. This also leads to teams utilizing senior signs in the latter half of the first 10 rounds to free up slot value money to pay for other signees. The assigned value of each pick does not drop below $1 million until the 8th pick in the 3rd round, the 83rd overall pick.

Chris Hacopian might flirt with Braden Montgomery's school record for the highest drafted position player, 12th overall in the 2024 MLB draft, but projections have him coming in a little after that in the 15th-17th overall pick range. Caden Sorrell has been a consensus back of the 1st round/compensation round pick for the last few months. I'm not a paid MLB analyst, but I think scouts are making a mistake in ranking Gavin Grahovac as a late 2nd round or 3rd round pick; if it was up to me, he would be a 1st round selection.

Scouts are still bullish on Shane Sdao with many believing that his ineffectiveness this season is mostly due to a longer recovery from his Tommy John surgery at the end of 2024; he could be taken in the 3rd-5th round range. Bear Harrison should have done enough this season, both offensively and defensively, to work his way up draft boards, and I see him in the same category with Sdao as a middle of the 2nd day selection. I think Clayton Freshcorn will also find himself in this range depending on how teams view his metrics; he projects better than Evan Aschenbeck did who found himself as a 13th round selection in 2024.

Weston Moss will be an interesting name to follow. He is not projected as high as Sdao or even Freshcorn and could find himself as a Day 3 selection. I think a lot will depend on his bonus target, but he could be someone the Aggies might lure back with some NIL if he is not already fully set on going pro. I could see Juan Vargas as a late Day 2 target, both as a potential project given his arm strength, and as a less expensive sign to help teams free up draft pool money for other high-end targets. Jake Duer and Josh Stewart would also fall into this category as a late Day 2, money saving, sign.

Two names that are hard to project would be Gavin Lyons and Sawyer Farr, both draft eligible sophomores. Farr was a highly regarded prospect coming out of college but had limited playing time this season. Lyons was a bit erratic at times, but also showed great potential at times. I think each could be a Day 2 pick, but with 2 years of leverage, it would depend on their personal bonus and career goals.

The high school recruits can be divided up into 3 categories: those who might hear their name in the first 4 rounds of the draft, those that could be later Day 2 selections, and those that will most likely wind up at A&M. The first category is topped by Connor Comeau and Trey Ebel who have both been projected as high as the first round. Following those two are Ryan Harwood and CJ Sampson who have moved up draft boards in their senior season of high school. Any of those four would be dynamic freshmen on next year's squad. Following those are guys that can be Day 2 selections or even Day 3 if teams save enough bonus pool money to throw their way: JD Alexander, Chandler Hart, Catcher Hopkins, Matthew Kelley, Cayden King, Drew Milner, and Graeson Register. While all of these guys would be great gets to campus, Hart and Register can throw mid to upper 90s which, based on last season, looks pretty good right now; especially projecting with Hart's 6'6" left-handed frame.

Luke Ekdall from Blinn could be considered a draft risk if he is itching to go pro, but he projects as a late Day 2 prospect.

For the "Other Names to Follow", the majority of these guys had decent seasons for 2026 and could be late round or even free agent signings to fill needs in an organization. I will note that of these names, Isaac Morton has the highest projection as an early Day 2 selection. Lucas Davenport, Jett Johnston, and Max Kaufer are probably the next highest group out of those names; all could be cheap late Day 2 signees. Jack Bell is rumored to be visiting Texas A&M as a possible reunion for next season…

What to look forward to next year:

Pitching can't get any worse, right? Hopefully the Ags can reload through the portal, through recovery, and with the incoming freshmen. With the exodus of Grahovac, Sorrell, Hacopian, Duer, and Harrison, that is 977 at bats, 317 hits, 74 home runs, and 279 RBIs to make up; not to mention 42 hit by pitches. You hope that Nico Partida, Jorian Wilson, and Boston Kellner not only help to solidify next year's lineup but continue to make progress in their development similar to Sorrell's progression from his freshman season. If Binderup can hit 15 home runs with a .280+ average, he would also be a serviceable piece to the puzzle. Add in the potential of Terrence Kiel and Sawyer Farr to take a step forward as the upperclassmen, if the Aggies can find a solid catcher and a few more quality bats, the lineup may not be as powerful as 2026, but could hold its own. If the Aggies can find a solid weekend starter through the portal, adding back Aiden Sims and Caden McCoy plus the potential that is David Ramirez, you can start to see the ground work for a much improved pitching staff that can do a better job of keeping the Aggies in games without having to slug their way to victory. Solid improvement from 2026 can see the Aggies making it back to the promise land of Omaha.

For reference:
***Official Aggies vs. 2017 MLB Draft Thread***
***Official Aggies vs. 2018 MLB Draft Thread***
***Official Aggies vs. 2019 MLB Draft Thread***
***Official Aggies vs. 2020 MLB Draft Thread***
***Official Aggies vs. 2021 MLB Draft Thread***
***Official Aggies vs. 2022 MLB Draft Thread***
***Official Aggies vs. 2023 MLB Draft Thread***
***Official Aggies vs. 2024 MLB Draft Thread***
***Official Aggies vs. 2025 MLB Draft Thread***

Here's an attempt at roster depth. Currently 44 potential candidates without the 2026 seniors, Junior Draft risks, or transfers out. An "*)" just means they appear more than once on the list at another position. Of course, even though a person is listed at INF it does not make a distinction between a shortstop or a first baseman.

Right-Hand Pitcher
1) John David Alexander
2) Wade Cooper
3) Luke Ekdall
4) Clayton Freshcorn
5) Cooper Fulbright
6) Harper Gates
7) Josh Horvath
8) Matthew Kelley
9) Caleb Kimble
10) Cayden King
11) Gavin Lyons
12) Drew Milner
13) Johnny Nuanez
14) Nico Partida
15) CJ Sampson
16) Aiden Sims
17) Cole Travers
18) Trent Vilade

Left-Hand Pitcher
19) Trent Collier
20) Chandler Hart
21) Cole Hubert
22) Caden McCoy
23) Evan Mihaly
24) Cooper Powell
25) Logan Prisco
26) David Ramirez
27) Hunter Vincent
28) Elijah Williams
29) Jarrett Williams

Outfielder
*) John David Alexander
30) Lane Arroyos
31) Alec Blair
32) Ryan Harwood
33) Terrence Kiel II
34) Nate Savoie
35) Dylan Schlaegel
*) Cole Travers
36) Jorian Wilson

Infielder
*) Lane Arroyos
37) Jack Bell
38) Blake Binderup
*) Harper Gates
*) Matthew Kelley
39) Boston Kellner
40) Tyler Minick
*) Nico Partida
*) CJ Sampson
41) Joseph Sandusky
42) Justin Tiller
*) Cole Travers
*) Trent Vilade

Catcher
43) Zane Becker
44) Catcher Hopkins
*) Nate Savoie
*) Justin Tiller




Out of Eligibility
Elijah Batista
Travis Chestnut
Grant Cunningham
Ethan Darden
Jake Duer
Wesley Jordan
Blake LaBuda
Ben Royo
Josh Stewart

Draft Risks (assuming will be drafted)
Clayton Freshcorn
Gavin Grahovac
Chris Hacopian
Bear Harrison
Weston Moss
Shane Sdao
Caden Sorrell

Transferred Out
Luke Billings
Sam Erickson
Sawyer Farr
Juan Vargas

Retired
Hunter Bond

Thanks for doing this each year. You make it so much easier to follow everything

Love following this every year, thanks for putting it together once again!

slipnslide said:

---

Will this also be a portal thread?

Pretty sure we just got Jack Bell

---

As commitments are made, I will add them to the D1/JUCO transfer section. I also reserved the 2nd post to show roster depth which would include transfers in and out. I may get that together by the end of this week.

vette said:

---

Going through all those historical threads with the draft picks, it's amazing how tough it is to make it to the bigs. Very few of those names currently in MLB.

---

GaTech Coach James Ramsey was a STUD at Florida State when we played them in that Super back in 2011... Hit nearly .370, double digit homers and steals back during the dead bat era... never made the bigs. I mean it is HARD.

Ekdall's dad told me Saturday night he's coming to A&M. Didn't say anything about draft potential.

Talked to Tab last night at the game. If not drafted but gets an invite he'll go. Still loves the grind, not quite ready to play golf & work for his dad.

pdg88 said:

---

Forgive my ignorance, but is Josh Stewart definitely out of eligibility and not eligible for a medical redshirt? I'll admit I don't know all of the nuance of the NCAA rule, but he was injured in game 17 in his 5th appearance of the season. We went on to play 52 regular season games. Is he not eligible for a medical redshirt because he was healthy for more than 30% of the regular season (17/52 = 32.7%)?

---

He's been on a roster for 5 seasons, 2022 at t.u. and 2023-2026 at A&M. He was listed as a graduate student on the 2026 roster. I don't think he has any eligibility left even with 2 injury shortened seasons since he has completed his five year window from when he started college.

Jake Duer on the other hand has only been on a roster for four seasons, so a RS designation for his TCU 2022 season would allow him to complete his 4th year of eligibility in his 5th season.

Added all of the new portal commits. We are now up to a possible 44 players on the roster. This will come down with high school commits taken in the draft as well as DSA tags for Jack Bell and any other players which do not count towards the 34 roster limitation.

Unless something new happened with Ekdall, I'm almost positive Ben Polleschultz was the decommit from the JUCO level.