Longhorns Country

Longhorns P Tanner Witt Among MLB's Top 100 2023 Draft Prospects

Despite missing most of the 2022 season with Tommy John surgery, Tanner Witt could be a first round pick in 2023.

Connor Zimmerlee

If you followed the Texas Longhorns at al last season then you know how an inconsistent pitching staff ultimately cost them when they made it to Omaha. 

As to why they struggled so heavily, well, that can potentially be linked to the absence of Tanner Witt. Witt, who started the season as the Longhorns' Sunday starter, made only two starts before being sidelined with Tommy John surgery. 

Despite that though, Witt is still considered one of the best prospects in the 2023 MLB draft, and landed in the Top 25 of the latest MLB.com Top 100 prospects rankings at No. 24. 

In his two starts Witt was electric, recording a 2-0 record with a 1.64 ERA. Perhaps most impressive, though, was his 14 strikeouts against only three walks in 11 innings of work. 

He features an arsenal of pitches, led by a fastball that sits at 92-95 mph and topped out at 97 mph. To go with his fastball is a changeup and slider, as well as a knee-buckling curveball that keeps batters honest in the box. 

Whether or not Witt pitches this season is still to be determined as he recovers from Tommy John, as he could opt to instead pitch bullpen workouts ahead of the draft in July. 

If he does come back, though, then he will add another elite arm to a Longhorns staff looking to bounce back from a rocky 2022 and return to the pitching dominance that Texas is known for. 

You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

Want to see the Horns in action? Get your Texas Longhorns game tickets from SI Tickets here!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Longhorns? Click Here to Subscribe to the Longhorns Country Newsletter

Want even more Texas Longhorns? Check out the SI.com team page here

Follow Longhorns Country on Twitter and Facebook.

Make sure to subscribe to the Longhorns Country Podcast today! Click here To Listen.

Published
Connor Zimmerlee
CONNOR ZIMMERLEE

Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media. 

Home/Baseball