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 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.
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
Wesley Jordan
Blake LaBuda
Ben Royo
Josh Stewart
Juniors
Blake Binderup
Hunter Bond
Clayton Freshcorn
Gavin Grahovac
Chris Hacopian
Bear Harrison
Weston Moss
Shane Sdao
Caden Sorrell
Juan Vargas
Draft-Eligible Sophomores & R-Freshmen (Turn 21 within 45 days of the draft (August 25th))
Sam Erickson
Sawyer Farr
Gavin Lyons
High School Recruits
John David Alexander OF/RHP
Connor Comeau SS
Trey Ebel SS
Harper Gates SS/RHP
Chandler Hart LHP
Ryan Harwood OF
Catcher Hopkins C
Matthew Kelley SS/RHP
Cayden King RHP
Josh Livingston LHP
Evan Mihaly LHP
Drew Milner RHP
Graeson Register RHP
CJ Sampson INF/RHP
Trent Vilade 1B/RHP
Elijah Williams LHP
D1/JUCO Transfers In
Jack Bell INF - TCU (2024 Aggie INF)
Luke Ekdall RHP Blinn CC
Ben Polleschultz LHP - Blinn CC
Joseph Sandusky INF Weatherford CC
Justin Tiller C/INF Cypress CC (California)
Other Names to Follow
Brett Antolick (2024 Aggie P)
Brandon Arvidson (2023 Aggie P)
Jason Bodin (2024 Aggie P)
Lucas Davenport (2023 Aggie P)
Jacob Galloway (2025 Aggie C)
Jamal George (2025 Aggie OF)
Jett Johnston (2024 Aggie P)
Max Kaufer (2023-2024 Aggie C)
Isaac Morton (2024-2025 Aggie P)
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***
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
Wesley Jordan
Blake LaBuda
Ben Royo
Josh Stewart
Juniors
Blake Binderup
Hunter Bond
Clayton Freshcorn
Gavin Grahovac
Chris Hacopian
Bear Harrison
Weston Moss
Shane Sdao
Caden Sorrell
Juan Vargas
Draft-Eligible Sophomores & R-Freshmen (Turn 21 within 45 days of the draft (August 25th))
Sam Erickson
Sawyer Farr
Gavin Lyons
High School Recruits
John David Alexander OF/RHP
Connor Comeau SS
Trey Ebel SS
Harper Gates SS/RHP
Chandler Hart LHP
Ryan Harwood OF
Catcher Hopkins C
Matthew Kelley SS/RHP
Cayden King RHP
Josh Livingston LHP
Evan Mihaly LHP
Drew Milner RHP
Graeson Register RHP
CJ Sampson INF/RHP
Trent Vilade 1B/RHP
Elijah Williams LHP
D1/JUCO Transfers In
Jack Bell INF - TCU (2024 Aggie INF)
Luke Ekdall RHP Blinn CC
Ben Polleschultz LHP - Blinn CC
Joseph Sandusky INF Weatherford CC
Justin Tiller C/INF Cypress CC (California)
Other Names to Follow
Brett Antolick (2024 Aggie P)
Brandon Arvidson (2023 Aggie P)
Jason Bodin (2024 Aggie P)
Lucas Davenport (2023 Aggie P)
Jacob Galloway (2025 Aggie C)
Jamal George (2025 Aggie OF)
Jett Johnston (2024 Aggie P)
Max Kaufer (2023-2024 Aggie C)
Isaac Morton (2024-2025 Aggie P)
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***
