Texas 1B signee Jared Thomas announces he’ll play for the Horns

The Texas Longhorns will lose multiple signees when the 2022 MLB Draft process concludes, but Waxahachie first baseman Jared Thomas won’t be among them after signability concerns ensured he fell out of the first 10 rounds on Monday and he affirmed his plan to follow through on his National Letter of Intent to Texas.

In a recent edition of Baseball America’s rankings, Thomas was considered the No. 218 prospect, but the 6’2, 175-pounder who also pitched in high school has always considered Texas his dream school and wanted to represent the state’s flagship university — in fact, Longhorns head coach David Pierce compared the commitment Thomas has to Texas to the Clemens brothers.

A left-handed batter known for his contact ability who also throws left handed, Thomas hit .484 as a junior with with 14 doubles, three triples, and four homers, finishing the season with 38 RBI, 35 runs, and 22 stolen bases, in addition to posting a 6-2 record with a 0.86 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 69.1 innings. As a senior, Thomas closed the season with back-to-back no-hitters and finished with a 1.62 ERA.

“Texas fans are going to love this kid, he bleeds Burnt Orange and plays with such a passion for the game,” Texas special assistant Philip Miller said when Thomas signed. “He has really competitive at bats and has a chance to be an elite hitter for many years. He just helps his team find ways to win games.”

With the departures of Ivan Melendez to professional baseball and Gavin Kash to the NCAA transfer portal, Thomas is the favorite to become the starting first baseman for the Longhorns in 2023 — as well as a future team leader — but he does also have enough speed to play in the outfield.