Texas RHP Tanner Witt remains unselected in the 2023 MLB Draft

On a big day for Texas Longhorns baseball that included two players and one signee selected in the 2023 MLB Draft in addition to the news that head coach David Pierce will serve as the team’s pitching coach next season, just as notable was who didn’t come off the board on Monday with the completion of the 10th round.

Not only did Texas outfielder signee Will Gasparino provide a public indication that he’ll honor his National Letter of Intent with the Longhorns despite ranking as the No. 75 prospect overall, according to MLB.com, Texas junior right-handed pitcher Tanner Witt also went unselected over the first two days of the draft.

By the end of Monday’s picks, Witt was the sixth-ranked prospect available after entering the draft one spot behind Gasparino and as arguably the biggest storyline for the Horns in the entire draft.

Witt is a Houston Episcopal product who was considered a late-first round prospect in 2020 MLB Draft before deciding to attend Texas as a fourth-generation Longhorn. The decision paid off initially with a Freshman All-American season and a strong start to the 2022 campaign after moving into the weekend rotation as a starter, but Witt was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery after suffering an elbow injury and missed the remainder of the season.

Instead of opting out in 2023, Witt tried to return to the mound with mediocre results, posting a 10.97 ERA in six starts during which he never lasted more than 3.0 innings or 44 pitches.

With the struggles on the mound this season and Witt’s ties to Texas, a return to school and the type of strong season he appeared set to produce in 2022 could once again vault him into late in the first round or early in the second round next year.

And now it seems increasingly likely Witt is going to take that route in an effort to help the Horns return to Omaha and once again boost his draft stock.

Texas junior right-handed pitcher Lebarron Johnson Jr., the No. 173 prospect by MLB.com, also remains on the board as the draft moves into its third and final day on Tuesday.