In a surprise selection, the Washington Nationals chose Texas Longhorns right-hander Cody Howard in the 13th round of the 2026 MLB Draft with the No. 376 pick.
The 6’1, 210-pounder from The Woodlands was ranked as the No. 11 right-handed pitcher in Texas in the 2021 recruiting class, according to Perfect Game. After signing with Baylor, Howard redshirted during his lone season in Waco before transferring to Texas, following
his former head coach Steve Rodriguez.
Howard played sparingly for the Longhorns in 2023, recording a 4.00 ERA in nine innings over eight appearances before struggling in David Pierce’s final season as the head coach, going 2-2 with a 10.36 ERA in 11 appearances, including four starts.
Under Jim Schlossnagle, Howard was unable to find a regular role out of the bullpen, making nine appearances in 2025 and eight appearances in 2026, going 1-1 with a 8.79 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 14.1 innings as a redshirt senior. In the postseason, Howard pitched 2.2 combined scoreless innings against Holy Cross and Alabama. Opponents hit .236 against Howard in 2026.
Although Howard was unable to find high-leverage work for the Longhorns, his power arm and quality stuff made him an appealing prospect to the Nationals, who hope that his best baseball is in front of him.
