Texas A&M ace Ryan Prager selected in third round by the Angels

A big day for Texas A&M’s big ace.

After a big year in Aggieland, left-handed pitcher Ryan Prager was selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the third round and 81st overall.

With the Prager pick, he becomes the third Aggie off the board and the second picked by the Angels in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Despite possessing an unassuming high-80s to low-90s heater, the Dallas Hillcrest product showcased his ability to get elite hitters out at a high level during an incredible 2024 campaign.

As A&M’s Friday night starter, Prager pieced together a 9-1 record with a 2.95 ERA in 19 starts. He struck out 124 batters in 97.2 innings while walking just 20.

Prager’s 2024 strikeout total ranks ninth-most in a single season in A&M history, one ahead of Michael Wacha in 2011 and a single K behind Ryan Rupe in 1998.

For those exploits, he was named a second-team All-American by D1Baseball and the NCBWA in addition to a second-team All-SEC nod.

In a season of incredible starts, a few stood out above the rest.

On March 8, Prager struck out a career-high 13 while allowing just one hit in seven scoreless frames against Rhode Island.

Against Vanderbilt on April 12, he punched out 10 Commodores in a seven-inning complete-game shutout.

Dueling with Hagen Smith on May 16, he tossed seven scoreless stanzas as the Aggies outlasted Arkansas, 1-0, in 11 innings.

However, no outing was better than Prager’s return to the Charles Schwab Field Omaha mound on June 16. Facing Kentucky in the Men’s College World Series, he carried a no-hitter into the seventh before departing after 6.2 innings of scoreless ball as the Aggies defeated the Wildcats, 5-1.

His MCWS brilliance bookended a career that saw him pitch in Omaha as a freshman in 2022 before missing 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Prager will likely depart Aggieland after just two seasons with a 10-5 record and a 3.78 ERA across 157.0 innings pitched.

Ryan Brauninger’s scout of Ryan Prager

“High pitchability left-hander with outstanding feel for the strike zone. Radar gun might be a bit of a liar here. Fastball can get up to 92 mph, but it presents much better than that due to an unorthodox combination of stride direction and release height. Made a jump with the analytical efficiency of his slider as well as with his confidence in it. Developed a split/change last offseason that was a welcomed addition to his arsenal. Extremely intelligent with great pitcher traits both on the mound and between starts.”