Who will stay or go after NCAA tournament exit?

Baseball America listed four Texas baseball players with eligibility remaining when it recently updated its list of the top 500 MLB draft prospects. 

Outfielder Max Belyeu came in at No. 32. Catcher Rylan Galvan followed at No. 236, while shortstop Jalin Flores entered the list at No. 253. Pitcher Ruger Riojas rounded it out at No. 315. 

After Texas, which hosted a regional in the NCAA Tournament, was booted from the postseason, questions will begin around the future of 2025 under first-year head coach Jim Schlossnagle. 

Here are three key questions surrounding those potentially leaving, coming back and one key arm for a team badly in need of pitching:

2025 MLB Draft: Will any eligible Texas baseball prospects return?

The signing bonus slot value on Belyeu’s projection sits at $2.97 million. Galvan’s is $232,000, with Flores and Riojas projecting slot values of $213,200 and $187,300, respectively. 

It’s uncommon for players selected in the first 10 rounds of the MLB draft to choose not to sign with the organization that selects them — that’s happened just 11 times in the four drafts that have taken place since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Interestingly, two college juniors playing for Texas schools declined to sign in the 2024 draft. Ryan Prager, a Texas A&M pitcher and third-round choice of the Angels, came back to school. So did Houston right-hander and ninth-round Mets draft pick, Jaxon Jelkin. He transferred to Kentucky during the offseason. 

The implementation of NIL compensation for college athletes might dissuade MLB organizations from picking certain college juniors, but statistics show it hasn’t made top college players less likely to sign once they’re picked. 

Further down the draft, where Texas’ NIL funds might compete more effectively with the compensation offered by pro organizations, there might be some more interesting decisions to monitor. 

Luke Harrison’s outstanding college season hasn’t rocketed him up draft boards. Would an MLB organization take a shot on Max Grubbs, who pitched to a 2.84 ERA out of the bullpen? What about Casey Borba, a draft-eligible sophomore who slugged his way to a .984 OPS that ranked third on the team?

Can Texas baseball become a player for major transfers this offseason?

The bookies rate Arkansas among the favorites to win the College World Series after a weekend of regional carnage that eliminated Texas and Vanderbilt, the field’s top two seeds. 

Zach Root, MLB.com’s No. 43 overall draft prospect, leads the Razorbacks’ staff. The big left-hander holds a 3.78 ERA with 113 strikeouts in 85⅔ innings of work. 

When he decided to transfer from East Carolina last summer, he considered Texas, even visiting campus. 

“We were still putting the team together, and Arkansas is a real established team,” Schlossnagle said May 1. “And so what happens with a lot of the big transfers, they want to know that they’re going to be on a good team.

“Zach’s a really good guy. Enjoyed meeting his family. I think he felt like Arkansas was returning a lot of really good players and we were building. And I understand that.”

To translate: Root knew Arkansas was going to be good. With Schlossnagle rushing to put together a roster heading into his first season in charge of the Longhorns, it was reasonable to question whether Texas would play to a similar level. 

Now, with an early postseason exit, the Texas staff can sell potential transfers on a 44-win season that included an SEC regular-season championship. 

Will that mean the Longhorns can shop for the most sought-after players in this transfer cycle?

Will Dylan Volantis start for Texas baseball in his second season?

Amid a disappointing NCAA Tournament performance by the Longhorns, Dylan Volantis maintained his usual dominant standard. 

The 6-foot-6 left-handed freshman made two appearances against UTSA, which beat Texas twice to win the Austin Regional, holding the Roadrunners scoreless over 5⅔ frames while striking out six. He did not issue a walk. 

It’s easy to craft an argument that portrays Volantis as the SEC’s best pitcher. He finished the campaign with a 1.94 ERA. Among the arms who completed at least 45 innings, the closest challenger to Volantis’ ERA crown was LSU’s Anthony Eyanson, who holds a 2.50 mark heading into the super-regional round. 

In 51 innings of work, Volantis struck out 74 batters and walked 12. Pairing an electric curveball with a sinker that helps him generate weak contact, Volantis boasts stuff that any program in the country would love to trot out to the mound Friday nights as a starting pitcher. 

Is that the role he’ll occupy for the Longhorns next season? Will the Texas coaching staff prefer to use Volantis in the high-leverage relief role where he excelled so much this year? Does it depend on the way the rest of the roster comes together? 

Reach Texas Insider David Eckert via email at david.eckert@hearst.com.