The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Riojas picked 100th overall in MLB Draft
07.11.2026 | Baseball
Longhorns have three top-100 picks for first time since 2004
AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas senior Ruger Riojas heard his named called in the third round (No. 100 overall) by the New York Mets in the 2026 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Saturday afternoon.
Riojas became the third Longhorn selected in the draft, alongside Minnesota Twins' second-round pick Carson Tinney (No. 42 overall) and New York Mets' third-rounder Aiden Robbins (No. 92 overall). Texas had three top-100 selections for the first time in 22 years.
In two seasons on The Forty Acres, Riojas cemented himself as one of the top arms in the SEC.
The 6-foot, 195-pound right-hander recorded a 6-2 ledger with a 3.97 ERA across a team-high 17 starts in 2026. Riojas' 13.22 K/9 ranked second in the league, trailing only Arkansas' Hunter Diez (13.76).
Meanwhile, the ABCA/Rawlings Central All-Region Second Team honoree mounted 120 strikeouts, which finished fifth-most among SEC hurlers. He held opposing hitters to a .235 batting average in 81 2/3 innings.
Riojas helped guide the Longhorns to their NCAA-best 39th trip to the Men's College World Series in Omaha.
Over his four years as a collegian, the Wimberley, Texas, native posted a 30-8 mark with seven saves and a 4.32 ERA in 81 appearances, including 29 starts. Riojas totaled 314 punchouts across 266 frames. He played his first two seasons at UTSA before joining the Longhorns ahead of the 2025 campaign.
The 2026 MLB First-Year Player Draft continues with rounds 5-20 at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. MLB.com will stream the final 16 rounds.
