There were sure to be several MLB scouts and decision makers left shaking their heads this college baseball season as they watched Anthony Pack, Jr. do his thing.
The Millikan High standout was a prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft, but went undrafted and ended up at the University of Texas, where he made Longhorns fans very happy all year long. Pack quickly slotted into right field and hit in the heart of the Texas lineup, helping the Longhorns all the way to the College World Series in Omaha.
Pack’s performance earned him SEC Freshman of the Year honors, and eventually National Freshman of the Year honors, making him the second consecutive Texas player to receive that award.
He led all Power Four freshmen in stolen bases (21) and was second in average (.355), runs (61), and on-base percentage (.480) while starting 60 of Texas’ 61 games in his first season in Austin. Pack’s plate discipline was impressive as well for a true freshman, recording more walks (47) than strikeouts (40) at the plate.
Pack smacked 12 home runs on the season, including a three-homer game in his first game of the NCAA Regional. That made him the first Longhorn ever to record a three-homer game in the postseason.
In SEC play, facing some of the best pitchers in the nation, Pack led the conference with a .400 batting average and an impressive .511 on-base percentage. He’s the first freshman to hit .400 in SEC play since current big leaguer Jake Mangum accomplished the feat for Mississippi State a decade ago.
It’ll be tough for Pack to follow up such a historic season as a sophomore, but if he continues to produce at this level, he won’t go through another MLB Draft without hearing his name called.
