In 20 rounds over three days, the MLB draft takes more than enough time for at least one Longhorn to be drafted. Dating back to the first MLB draft in 1965, the Longhorns have produced at least one player who is selected each year, and 2024 was no different.
Unique to the MLB draft, teams can select players from both the collegiate ranks and high school. Just in the first round alone, three highly-touted Texas signees were selected with two coming in the top 20.
Shortstop Bryce Rainer, the Longhorn commit, was the first to come off the board. After flipping from his hometown in California to Texas, the Detroit Tigers selected the dynamic shortstop at pick 11. Rainer was one of the best high school prospects in this year’s draft with many experts drawing comparisons to Texas Rangers shortstop, Corey Seager.
In his senior season at the MLB producing powerhouse of Harvard-Westlake High School, in Los Angeles, Rainer hit .505 for four runs with 28 walks and 14 strikeouts across 33 games. A threat on base, Rainer stole 17 bases on 18 attempts.
Just a handful of picks later, the Tampa Bay Rays swiped the second Texas commit, shortstop Theo Gillen at 18. The local Austin-Westlake product was a four-year starter, and earned a pair of first team All-Central Texas selections.
Scouts have touted his hitting ability at the plate; in his senior season at Austin-Westlake, Gillen hit .415 for seven runs, 30 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .579 with a total of 29 stolen bases. If signed, the Rays intend to play Gillen in the outfield.
Near the end of the first round, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Texas commit pitcher Levi Sterling at pick 37. Despite his age, the 17-years-old Southern Californian already has the ideal frame of a pro pitcher at 6-foot-5 inches and 202 pounds.
Coming into his own during his senior season at Notre Dame High School, on the mound Sterling had a 2.62 ERA in 45 innings played with 55 strikeouts. Sterling was also a two-way player hitting a .319 average.
To kick off the second round, the Colorado Rockies picked up the first Longhorn in sophomore outfielder Jared Thomas at 42. During his freshman season at Texas, Thomas was named to the Big 12 Freshman team and was recognized as an honorable mention All-Big 12.
The Waxahachie, Texas native started 60 games this past season. The lefty shortstop ended his sophomore campaign with 61 home runs, 47 RBIs, 87 hits with a .349 batting average and 18 stolen bases.
On day two of the draft, the Colorado Rockies selected another Longhorn, this time in redshirt junior pitcher Lebarron Johnson Jr. at 139 pick. During his sophomore season, Johnson earned second team All-American honors as well as a first team All-Big 12 after posting a 8–4 record with a 2.91 ERA.
Last season, Johnson Jr. did not replicate his hot sophomore season, ending 2024 with a 3–4 record out of 15 starts on the mound, allowing 47 runs and 79 hits for a 5.60 ERA. Johnson Jr. did finish the season strong, only giving up two hits and a run during five innings against Texas A&M.
The Kansas City Royals picked the last Texas signee, pitcher Kyle DeGroat, in the 14th round at 407. Out of DeGroat’s nine appearances in his senior season of high school, he posted a 0.60 ERA and impressive 102 strikeouts while on the mound.
The final Longhorn drafted, junior pitcher Tanner Witt, went to the New York Mets in the 14th round at pick 413. Witt was selected last season by the Baltimore Orioles in the 18th round, but opted to come back to Texas. Witt was one of the best players coming out of high school, ranked 18th nationally.
In his freshman season, Witt earned a Freshman All-American and Honorable All-Big 12 honors for his 28 relief appearances, ending the year with a 3.16 ERA and 73 strikeouts. A season-ending injury suffered during his sophomore season lingered far into his junior year. Witt returned late into the 2024 season and had appearances in the postseason.
Aug. 1 is the league deadline for drafted players to sign with their respective franchise. That will give newly-hired head coach Jim Schlossnagle a chance to retain some of the highly drafted commits as the Longhorns enter SEC play.
