Longhorns RF Max Belyeu taken by Colorado Rockies in 2nd round of MLB Draft
Belyeu broke his thumb against Missouri in March and was thought to be lost for the year after requiring surgery. But the former Big 12 Player of the year sped through rehab and was able to play at the end of the Texas baseball season.
Despite missing 26 games, Belyeu still managed to hit .303 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs in 2025. The Aledo, TX native provided one of the biggest moments of the year for UT.
In his first game back from injury, Belyeu smashed a go-ahead, three-run home run in the ninth inning against Oklahoma to secure Texas the SEC regular-season title. It was UT's first year in the league.
With Belyeu's selection by the Rockies, at least one Longhorn has been picked every year since the MLB draft began in 1965.
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @LonghornsWire.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
16 minutes ago
- USA Today
Texas A&M Baseball achieves dual draft Milestones after 2025 MLB picks
If there's one thing Texas A&M is committed to, it's developing players for Major League Baseball, and they've become one of the top programs in the country for doing so. While the ultimate goal of college sports is to win championships, another priority is preparing athletes for professional leagues. Although the Aggie baseball team has yet to stand atop the mountain, they boasts impressive stats when it comes to sending talent to the next level. Following the 2025 MLB Draft, A&M reached two major milestones. First is what has become commonplace in Aggieland: a streak of having at least two players drafted in every MLB draft since 1984. That's the longest active streak in the nation, now at an astonishing 40 years. Second, they stand alone as the only program in the country to have three or more players selected in every MLB draft since 2001. With players like Caden Sorrell, Gavin Grahovac, and Shane Sdao eligible next season, it's safe to expect both streaks will continue, regardless of the outcome for the 2026 Aggie baseball team. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.
New York Times
17 minutes ago
- New York Times
One defining stat for all 30 MLB teams to help you get you caught up for the second half
Over the course of the Major League Baseball season, the trends, traits and tendencies that make each team unique can get lost in the daily grind. For that reason, the All-Star break provides a perfect opportunity to pause and assess the league's landscape. At this point, every team has played at least 95 games. Throughout thousands of innings and at-bats spanning four months of baseball, the statistical sample needed to evaluate all 30 clubs has slowly grown. Advertisement But there is a lot of baseball left to be played. The puzzle that is each team's season is still being built. We're starting to get a good idea of how the pieces fit together — and hopefully didn't lose any under the couch in the process. Before the second half gets rolling, let's zoom in on one stat that defines each team's season so far, for better or worse. The stats cited in this story are courtesy of Baseball Savant (advanced stats) and FanGraphs. All stats are updated through the All-Star break. Toronto Blue Jays (55-41) 17.7 K% (1st in MLB) Good things happen when you put the ball in play at a high rate and play strong defense. Just ask the Blue Jays. Toronto has taken over the AL East lead behind the league's lowest strikeout rate. They are tied for first in batting average, third in on-base percentage and third in singles. This pairs well with a strong defense, which ranks tied for eighth in defensive runs saved. New York Yankees (53-43) .455 slugging percentage (1st) While some questions can be asked about the Yankees' bullpen and defense, their offense has been elite. New York leads the sport in slugging percentage, expected slugging percentage, on-base percentage, home runs, walks, hard-hit percentage and barrel percentage and ranks third in runs scored. Even with this prolific statistical profile, New York sits in second place in the AL East behind the Blue Jays. Boston Red Sox (53-45) 18 blown saves (29th) Despite a stellar offense and torrid close to the first half, Boston remains in third place in the AL East because its pitching and defense have self-destructed at various points. The Red Sox are near the top of the sport in several offensive categories, ranking first in doubles and first in hits, and fifth in runs scored. These positives have been offset by the fact that Boston ranks 21st in runs allowed, 22nd in hits allowed and walks allowed and, to make matters worse, the Red Sox have committed 78 errors (second-most). Advertisement Then there are those glaring blown saves. However, Boston is only three games back of first place. Not the worst spot to be in. Tampa Bay Rays (50-47) 123 stolen bases (1st) The Rays' winning formula has been to get on base, steal bags and drive in runs. Tampa Bay ranks fourth in baseball with 845 hits and leads the sport in stolen bases, snagging 13 more than the next closest team. It's all tied together by the Rays' tendency to come up clutch with runners in scoring position. They have the second-highest batting average with runners in scoring position, just behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a result, Tampa Bay ranks ninth in runs scored. Baltimore Orioles (43-52) 132 home runs allowed (29th) How have the Orioles so massively underperformed expectations? Their pitching has gotten pulverized. Their offense hasn't been stellar either, but their staff's struggles have been seemingly insurmountable. Baltimore finds itself towards the top of the league in hits allowed (third), home runs allowed (second), runs allowed (fifth), and opponent exit velocity (fourth). They also have the fifth-fewest quality starts in baseball. As a result, Baltimore may become a seller at the trade deadline. Detroit Tigers (59-38) .444 expected slugging percentage (7th) Detroit is a dangerous team this year because it combines elite offense with top-tier pitching — hence its 11 1/2 game lead in the AL Central. The Tigers rank 12th in hits, sixth in runs scored and barrel percentage, and tied-eighth in homers. Pair these impressive metrics with the sixth-best ERA in the majors, thanks to a powerful staff led by reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, and you get a team that's 21 games over .500. Minnesota Twins (47-49) 249 walks allowed (1st) Even after a slow start, the Twins are within shouting distance of a .500 record, and one important factor in their stabilization has been their ability to avoid walking batters. Minnesota's other pitching metrics have been rather mediocre, so mitigating free passes has been critical. Advertisement The Twins have just 25 quality starts, 28th in the league. They also rank roughly middle of the pack in runs allowed, hits allowed and opponent exit velocity. Kansas City Royals (47-50) 328 runs scored (29th) The Royals' meager offense has been their downfall and a critical part of that is their approach. Kansas City has seen the second-fewest pitches in baseball, has the league's second-highest chase rate and has walked less often than any other team. One positive has been the team's ability to put the ball in play, recording the second-fewest strikeouts in baseball, but the power numbers are poor. The Royals rank 29th in homers and 26th in slugging percentage and barrel percentage. Despite its underwhelming offense, Kansas City is still only 4 1/2 games out of the American League's last Wild Card spot. Cleveland Guardians (46-49) .227 expected batting average (30th) It's actually impressive that Cleveland is just three games under .500, considering how abysmal it has been offensively this season. The Guardians rank towardsthe bottom of the league in too many metrics, including expected slugging percentage (30th), average exit velocity (28th), hard-hit percentage (30th), hits (30th) and runs scored (26th). If their offense does not improve, Cleveland may slide farther down the standings, considering their minus-45 run differential. Chicago White Sox (32-65) .235 expected batting average (28th) Yes, Chicago's pitching has been mediocre, but not poor enough to justify being 23 games under .500. The offense is the real culprit, despite being tied for eighth in exit velocity. Chicago has the second-fewest hits in baseball, third-fewest homers and second-fewest RBIs. The White Sox also have the league's fourth-worst strikeout rate and fourth-worst expected slugging percentage. Advertisement On the bright side, they're on pace to be better than last year. That counts for something — right? Houston Astros (56-40) 930 strikeouts (1st) Headlined by the hard-throwing Hunter Brown, Houston's aggressive pitching staff has propelled the Astros to a five-game lead in the AL West. The Astros attack the strike zone, throwing the sixth-fewest pitches this season while recording far and away the most strikeouts in baseball and generating the league's second-best whiff percentage. Even when the ball is put in play against the Astros, they allow just the second-lowest exit velocity in the sport. Seattle Mariners (51-45) 14,648 pitches seen (2nd) When facing this Mariners' lineup, opposing pitchers ought to be prepared for a battle. Seattle applies persistent pressure by consistently working counts, which has resulted in the team seeing the second-most pitches in the sport. While this is a credit to the Mariners' meticulous approach at the dish, it is also a sign of respect. Giving in against this group is a risky proposition, considering Seattle ranks seventh in hard-hit percentage and has hit the sixth-most homers in baseball. Probably not surprising, considering the Mariners are led by 2025 Home Run Derby champion Cal Raleigh. Texas Rangers (48-49) 3.31 ERA (1st) Where would the Rangers be without elite pitching? In addition to their sparkling team ERA, Texas has handcuffed opponents with the lowest slugging percentage in baseball, having given up the third-fewest homers. While starters Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle have inflated these numbers, it's been a true team effort. Despite these glistening stats, Texas remains a .500 ball club because of its offensive struggles. The team ranks 24th in total hits and 23rd in expected batting average. Los Angeles Angels (47-49) 11.0 barrel percentage (2nd) Advertisement The Halos are somehow hovering around .500 despite ranking 24th in team batting average and tallying the second-most strikeouts at the plate. How have they compensated for this lack of consistent contact? Supreme efficiency. Simply put: their good swings are really good. The Angels have the highest barrel percentage in the league, resulting in the fifth-most homers. Of the team's 748 hits this season, 139 have been dingers. Athletics (41-57) 251 opponent barrels allowed (29th) The Athletics' pitching has been poor … and even that is being polite. Only one team has allowed more barrelled baseballs than them and the stats reflect that reality — the A's have allowed the second-most runs, the most home runs and the second-most hits in baseball. Did we mention they've issued 358 walks? Los Angeles Dodgers (58-39) .471 expected slugging percentage (2nd) Los Angeles' pitching has been pedestrian at best, yet the Dodgers lead the loaded NL West by 5 1/2 games. The same diabolically deep lineup that led the Dodgers to last season's World Series crown continues to dominate opposing pitching, despite cooling ahead of the All-Star break. The team is tied for second in batting average, third in expected batting average and second in both hits and home runs. The Dodgers' ability to hit for power, highlighted by their .471 expected slugging percentage, allows them to make up for their pitching staff's lackluster 4.29 ERA (23rd). Did I mention they also lead the majors in runs scored and rank third in slugging percentage? San Diego Padres (52-44) .242 expected batting average against (3rd) San Diego currently holds the No. 2 spot in the NL West and a Wild Card spot because its pitching staff has exceeded expectations, ranking top 10 in the league in: strikeouts (tied-eighth), earned runs allowed (fifth), homers allowed (tied-sixth) and opponent slugging percentage (tied-second). Advertisement Yet the stat that best summarizes how effective the Padres' pitching has been is opponents' .242 expected batting average, which has overshadowed some of their ugly hitting stats. The Padres sit 28th in barrel percentage, are fifth-lowest in exit velocity, 29th in hard-hit percentage and 25th in runs scored. San Francisco Giants (52-45) 7.6 opponent barrel percentage (3rd) The Giants' pitching has shone this season thanks to their collective ability to avoid hard contact. Their 39.4 percent hard-hit percentage allowed (tied for third-lowest) has directly resulted in allowing the league's fourth-fewest barrels, and they're tied for the second-fewest homers allowed. All of these stellar numbers are directly tied to the league's second-lowest opponent barrel percentage. As it turns out, limiting hard contact consistently can also do wonders for a staff's ERA. San Francisco holds the third-lowest mark in baseball, which has led to 45 quality starts in 97 games. Arizona Diamondbacks (47-50) 42.7 hard-hit percentage allowed (28th) Despite having one of the better offenses in baseball, Arizona is hovering around .500 and in fourth place in the crowded NL West because its pitching has fallen flat. The Diamondbacks' offense ranks second in the league in extra-base-hit percentage and doubles and fourth in homers. These efforts have been scuttled in part because their pitching staff ranks towards the top of the league in hard-hit percentage (third), exit velocity against (third), barrel percentage (second) and runs allowed (fourth). As a result, Arizona should be one of the prime sellers at the deadline, as it possesses several intriguing pieces that could help contending teams. Colorado Rockies (22-74) .472 opponent expected slugging percentage (30th) While Coors Field has always been known as a hitter's ballpark, that moniker is especially true this year because the Rockies' pitching has been abysmal, altitude or not. Advertisement Issues stem from the team's struggle to consistently throw first-pitch strikes. As a result, Rockies pitchers often find themselves behind in counts and ultimately pay the price for their lack of aggression early in at-bats, allowing the highest opponent expected slugging percentage in all of baseball. Fans in the Mile High City might already be counting the days until Ethan Holliday, drafted No. 4 on Sunday, is called up. Philadelphia Phillies (55-41) 88.6 mph average opponent exit velocity (1st) Phillies pitchers have excelled at minimizing hard contact by opposing hitters, ranking top five in hard-hit percentage (tied for second-lowest), barrel percentage (first) and expected slugging (third). This all correlates to a majors-high 53 quality starts in 96 games. Philadelphia's pitching keeps the squad in games, and the offense does the rest with quality at-bats, ranking fourth in on-base percentage, seventh in hits, tied for sixth in walks and sixth in hard-hit percentage. New York Mets (55-42) 83 home runs allowed (1st) This iteration of the Mets has been bolstered by pitching, and even though the staff has cooled off after a stellar start to the year, the numbers are still pretty impressive. New York ranks eighth in strikeouts, tied for ninth in opponent batting average, tied for second in opponent slugging percentage and fourth in ERA while allowing the fewest home runs in baseball. Now the question: Is this production sustainable? At the moment, it appears possible. Since June 1, the Mets have given up the seventh-fewest runs in baseball and the 10th-fewest hits, though they have walked the fifth-most batters. Miami Marlins (44-51) 89.9 mph average opponent exit velocity (27th) The Marlins' offense has kept them in games this season, ranking fourth in batting average, fifth in singles, and seventh in doubles. These numbers have exceeded expectations, but their pitching has been a letdown. Advertisement Miami's pitching struggles to generate whiffs, and when its hurlers get hit, they generally get hit hard. Marlins pitchers rank 23rd in strikeouts and 27th in opponent exit velocity, resulting in the league's sixth-highest expected opponent batting average. Atlanta Braves (42-53) 9.4 K/9 (2nd) Without quality pitching, an underwhelming season for the Braves could have been a downright disaster. Atlanta's pitching has allowed the fifth-fewest hits in baseball, is tied for the fourth-most quality starts, and ranks second with 878 strikeouts. Even with their pitching prowess, the Braves remain 11 games under .500 because they haven't hit to their standard. Atlanta ranks 24th in runs scored, 21st in batting average and 20th in hits. Washington Nationals (38-58) 5.21 ERA (28th) Similar to Miami, Washington has trotted out a respectable lineup with several impressive young bats, but its pitching staff as a whole has been abysmal. In fact, the Nats have the second-highest expected batting average in baseball, but think of any pitching statistic and they are probably towards the bottom of the league. Washington ranks in the bottom third of the league in the following metrics: opponent expected batting average (28th), opponent exit velocity (29th), ERA (28th), home runs allowed (22nd) and hits allowed (27th). There are more, but I digress. Chicago Cubs (57-39) .468 expected slugging percentage (3rd) Everything about the Cubs' offense is elite. Their process is precise and the results are self-explanatory. Chicago sees a lot of pitches, rarely chases and consistently barrels baseballs. As a result, the Cubs are near the top of several offensive categories, including expected slugging percentage, runs scored (second), hits (third), home runs (third), and on-base percentage (eighth). Did I mention they have stolen the third-most bases in the league? Shout-out to Pete Crow-Armstrong. Milwaukee Brewers (56-40) 110 stolen bases (2nd) In a modern game obsessed with exit velocity and launch angle, the Brewers play an old-school brand of baseball that works for them. Milwaukee is 16 games above .500 despite ranking last in barrel percentage and exit velocity and 28th in expected slugging percentage. Advertisement That's wild. Instead, the Brewers swipe bags, drive in runners and pitch well enough to tie the whole thing together. They have stolen the second-most bases in the league while ranking sixth in batting average with runners in scoring position and tied for sixth in ERA. St. Louis Cardinals (51-46) 36 errors committed (T-3rd) The Cardinals keep finding ways to win baseball games. This squad was counted out before the season began, but proceeded to defy expectations thanks to its bats and defense. St. Louis ranks 11th in hits, sixth in doubles, and 10th in runs scored. However, the Cardinals' pitching staff ranks 24th in hits allowed and 26th in opponent hard-hit percentage. That's where the gloves come in, as the Cardinals have committed the third-fewest errors in baseball. Cincinnati Reds (50-47) 39.2 opponent hard hit percentage (T-2nd) An essential part of the Reds' winning formula this season has been avoiding hard contact. Cincinnati's pitchers do not generate a lot of swings-and-misses, but they pitch effectively within the zone and force weak contact. The Reds are tied for the fifth-most quality starts (39) and are one of just six teams with multiple complete games. The offense gives them just enough run support to make it work with great plate discipline, owning the second-lowest chase rate in baseball. They also rank 11th in runs and 13th in stolen bases. Pittsburgh Pirates (39-58) 66 home runs (30th) It's unrealistic to have a respectable offense when you pair an inability to hit for power and one of the league's fourth-highest strikeout rate. That sums up the Pirates' season thus far. Pittsburgh ranks 24th in expected slugging percentage, 27th in hits and 30th in runs scored. Plus, a majority of their hits have been singles, sporting a league-low 5.8 extra-base-hit percentage. (Top photo of Houston's Hunter Brown: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Guardians lose 4.70 ERA reliever to injured list
When Paul Sewald signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Cleveland Guardians last offseason, there were hopes that he would rediscover his prime self. Injuries have hindered those hopes. According to Tim Stebbins of Sewald is headed to the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. He previously missed over two months with a similar injury and had just recently been reinstated. Sewald struggled in 2024, his first and final full campaign with the Arizona Diamondbacks, going 1-2 with a 4.31 ERA and a 3.95 FIP over 39 and 2/3 innings. This year, he has regressed even more, going 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA, a 4.06 FIP, and 18 strikeouts to 4 walks over 15 and 1/3 innings. Cleveland is 46-49 and will all but assuredly not catch the Detroit Tigers (59-38) for the American League Central. They are also 4.5 games back of the Seattle Mariners for the final Wild Card spot, but would have to leapfrog six other teams to claim that spot. Even with Sewald not at his best, or even healthy, Cleveland boasts the 10th-best combined bullpen ERA in the Majors at 3.71. That is in large part thanks to stalwarts Emmanuel Clase (2.91 ERA, 2.41 FIP) and Cade Smith (3.07 ERA, 2.06 FIP). This season is not yet lost, but the Guardians look more and more poised to sell at the deadline. Sewald could have potentially been a tantalizing piece for contenders in need of bullpen support, but the injuries complicate his trade value.
