Drafted Texas righty with a sneaky-live arm and SEC-tested grit
In the 2026 season, Cody Howard gave Texas a durable bullpen look, working across 8 appearances with a 1-1 record, 8.79 ERA, and 16 strikeouts in 14.1 innings before being taken by the Nationals in the 13th round of the 2026 MLB Draft[1][2]. The draw is the arm talent and whiff ability, but the red flag is inconsistency: he hasn’t yet carved out a steady late-inning role, so he fits best for a team betting on development, competitiveness, and stuff that still has room to sharpen[1][2][5].
