Diagnosing the Disch: We've got our own A-Rod!

If you’ve even slightly caught up with the news around Texas baseball entering the 2025 season, you would’ve been bombarded with the name of a new freshman phenom already making waves in Austin.

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Adrian Rodriguez is a two-time 6A First Team All-State honoree from Flower Mound (Texas) who was originally committed to Jim Schlossnagle at Texas A&M. If the Longhorns taking Schloss from the Aggies wasn’t enough, Rodriguez flipped his commitment to Texas on July 7th, sparking a wave of hype on social media.

Rodriguez was a decorated player at the high school level. His two-run home run in the 6A title game gave Flower Mound the championship, and Rodriguez the MVP. He was also the offensive player of the year in the Dallas area. The infielder finished his high school career with a .430 batting average and is revered for his five-tool ability.

But starting as a true freshman at third base was always going to be a challenge for Rodriguez. Texas baseball had spent nearly the entirety of the David Pierce era using veterans at the hot corner. Whether it was Peyton Powell, Kansas transfer Skyler Messinger, Cam Williams or Ryan Reynolds, Texas has employed the strategy of experience and on-base hitting at on the left side of the infield.

But with Powell heading to the big leagues and no true replacement on the roster, it became clear that the job was up for grabs for the 2025 season. So, A-Rod got to work. Schlossnagle claims that Rodriguez has added 20 pounds since entering campus, and Rodriguez has gone from a thin high school batter to a grown man in the span of six months.

Rodriguez continued to show out, hitting a grand slam in the Longhorns’ first open practice and homering in the alumni game. Though these were both exhibitions, the kid looks the part. He’s agile at third, has a sweet swing from both sides of the plate and has the intensity you hope for from such a young player.

Texas may have struck gold with this true freshman. The A-Rod comparisons are already starting to flow, both from his similar name and playstyle to former MLB MVP Alex Rodriguez. Aaron Rodriguez’s hype has gone through the roof, mirroring what has become regular at other Texas athletics programs. If Rodriguez’s hype matches the performance of players like Colin Simmons, Tre Johnson, Madison Booker and Teagan Kavan, Texas baseball is going to be in a great spot.

It seems like Rodriguez has pretty much locked up the starting spot at the hot corner. Schlossnagle has made it clear the potential he sees in the freshman, even batting him in the No. 2 spot in the alumni game. But there is still some potential behind Rodriguez that will keep him on his toes.

One of the biggest wildcards of the 2025 team is Casey Borba. Borba was 12th in the Longhorns in at-bats in 2024 as a true freshman, with the majority of his starts coming in the Oklahoma and Kansas series as a first baseman. With just five returners tallying more at-bats and starts than him in 2024, it was assumed Borba would have a crucial role heading into the first year of Schlossnagle’s tenure, especially given his impressive .917 OPS in Big 12 play.

But Borba, who is naturally a third baseman, has likely been beaten out for that spot, and Kimble Schuessler seems to be the front runner for the first base spot. Borba will probably be the Longhorns DH to start the year, but he’ll be competing with the likes of Tommy Farmer IV, Oliver Service and Jaquae Stewart for at-bats throughout the year, not to mention Rodriguez.

If Borba goes from a rotational freshman to above average bat this Texas lineup could be dangerous and would likely feature both him and Rodriguez in the batting order. He is a breakout candidates, but IT just doesn’t know if it will be at the hot corner.

Rodriguez and Borba are probably the only two players you’ll see at third this season but look out for Sam Richardson long-term. The Mississippi native is a long-time Texas commit with serious power and was Perfect Game’s No. 3 3rd baseman in the 2025 class. He’s already up to 215 pounds and should be a series contender for playing time in 2026.