Texas A&M’s 2026 baseball roster is still a work in progress. Still, so far, second-year head coach Michael Earley has added nearly a dozen veterans from the transfer portal, and is also predicted to lose several players to the 2025 MLB Draft, led by junior outfielder Jace LaViolette.
LaViolette’s departure was expected, leading to Earley adding Maryland transfer shortstop Chris Halcopian, Cal State Fullerton infielder Maddox Latta, and Florida Atlantic outfielder Jake Duer, who are all considered some of the top contact hitters in the country.
One of A&M’s most significant issues last season was consistency on offense, so these additions were essentially mandatory given what’s to come ahead of Sunday’s draft. This week, ESPN writer Kiley McDaniel released his Top 250 MLB prospect rankings, which featured nine current or future Aggies ranked among the 250 players, including five incoming freshmen.
However, one of the more important players over the last three seasons, redshirt junior ace pitcher Ryan Prager, was not included in the rankings after returning last season, finishing with a 4-4 record, 4.21 ERA, and racking up 73 strikeouts, which was a notable step down after finishing with a 9-1 record and 2.95 ERA during the 2024 season.
Here is where every eligible Texas A&M player is positioned in ESPN’s rankings:
Outside of LaViolette, Shane Sdao, Justin Lamkin, and, possibly, Kaeden Kent are the three players who could easily depart, but should consider returning for a final season to increase their draft standing next summer.
The 2025 MLB Draft will begin on Sunday, July 13, as the first round will air on ESPN, while the following 19 rounds will continue on the MLB Network.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: 9 current and future Texas A&M players ranked in ESPN’s Top 250 MLB Draft prospects
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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