The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Tinney picked in second round of 2026 MLB Draft
07.11.2026 | Baseball
Junior becomes Longhorns’ highest-drafted catcher since 1988
AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas standout Carson Tinney was selected in the second round (No. 43 overall) by the Minnesota Twins in the 2026 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Saturday afternoon. With the pick, at least one Longhorn has been taken every year since the MLB draft began in 1965.
Tinney became Texas' highest-drafted catcher since Brian Johnson went 32nd overall in 1988. The Longhorns have now had a backstop hear their name called in four of the last five drafts.
A transfer from Notre Dame, Tinney made his presence felt in his lone campaign in burnt orange.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound backstop blasted 22 home runs, the fifth-most by a Texas player in a single season.
Tinney posted team-highs in OPS (1.171), walks (55), hit by pitches (12) and on-base percentage (.483), while tying for the club lead in runs scored (68).
The D1Baseball Third Team All-American ranked second on the team in homers, RBI (58), total bases (150) and slugging (.688). Tinney batted .326 with 13 doubles and a career-best 10 stolen bases.
The 2026 NCAA Austin Regional All-Tournament honoree guided the Longhorns to their NCAA-best 39th trip to the Men's College World Series.
Defensively, Tinney won the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove behind the plate. The junior registered a .992 fielding percentage. He converted 600 putouts and added 43 assists, while making just five errors.
Tinney anchored a Texas team that allowed the fewest stolen bases (28) among all SEC programs. As the main batterymate for the Longhorns' pitching staff, the Castle Pines, Colo., native helped Texas notch the second-best FIP (3.28) and fifth-lowest WHIP (1.21) in the country.
Across his three-year collegiate career, Tinney tallied a .326 average, 42 home runs, 120 RBI and a 1.165 OPS.
