Shane Sdao, a would-be weekend starter for Texas A&M baseball last year were it not for his unfortunate injury, has announced, according to Ryan Brauninger of Texags, that he will forego any further MLB draft consideration and return to Texas A&M. This is shocking news to say the least, as most Aggie fans had all but written off a return from Sdao given his standing in the draft.
Sdao was going to be one of the best arms for the Aggies this last year, but a lingering injury from the end of the 2024 season had him out for the year. The pitching was far down on the list of problems for the Aggies in 2025, but Sdao's presence would have no doubt won them some games that could have moved them into position for the NCAA Tournament.
This is simply a massive announcement for Michael Earley and company. Losing Ryan Prager, Justin Lamkin, and Myles Patton meant that the Aggies had some work to do to figure out their weekend rotation. Now, one of those spots is all but sewn up.
Texas A&M baseball shockingly set to return Shane Sdao for 2026 despite draft status
Though no team ended up calling Sdao's name, this is not all that dissimilar from Ryan Prager's return announcement last year. Like Prager, this is a guy who can be a Friday night starter in the SEC— not exactly something that grows on trees.
Despite this big time announcement, the main problem for Michael Earley's squad from last year— the bats— still needs to be addressed. The return of Gavin Grahovac won't solve everything, as we saw even Jace LaViolette go through a slump last year.
The hitting simply needs to be better next year, but Sdao's presence will no doubt win the Aggies some games in any case. This is another major piece coming back for next year's team.