In a stunning turn of events, Texas A&M pitcher Ryan Prager has announced he will return for his senior season and will not sign with the Los Angeles Angels.
Prager, a third round pick of the Angels, had a slot value calling for a $948,000 signing bonus, but negotiations between the two sides reportedly never really got off the ground. Prager had indicated in the days after Michael Earley's hiring that he was not eliminating a potential return to A&M, and sources told AggieYell.com that A&M would attempt to put together a good NIL deal in an effort to keep him. With discussions with Los Angeles at an impasse, Prager announced his extremely rare decision to stay Wednesday afternoon.
Prager was an All-American for the Aggies last year, going 9-1 with a 2.95 ERA over 97 2/3 innings. What appeared to be his last start for A&M was brilliant, as he held No. 2 Kentucky hitless for 6 2/3 innings in the Aggies' 5-1 win at the College World Series.
What it means for the Aggies
It means the team that was relying on two starters to get to the final game of the CWS this year is going to be absolutely loaded with starting pitching in 2025. Prager will be a preseason All-American and will step back in as A&M's Friday night starter. The Aggies will also have lefty Shane Sdao and CWS hero Justin Lamkin to slot in to the rotation, along with new arrival Myles Patton. A&M could also put Troy Wansing -- a weekend starter in 2023 before missing nearly all of this year -- back into the rotation as well. Rising sophomores Kaiden Wilson and Weston Moss could also start, but Prager's return likely moves both of them into multi-inning roles out of the bullpen.
Simply put, Earley is taking over a team that has very few, if any, weaknesses. The Aggies should start the season at least in the top five, and likely higher. A return to trip to Omaha should be on everyone's minds going into 2025.
