There’s a unique kind of pride that comes with watching talent you’ve seen up close take the next step. That pride runs deep this week for Houston Baseball fans—myself included—with the news that Antoine Jean and Connor McGinnis heard their names called in the 2025 MLB Draft.

Jean is headed west to the Colorado Rockies, while McGinnis is off to the iconic pinstripes of the New York Yankees. That’s the kind of sentence that would make any Cougar fan smile.

Antoine Jean: A Dominant Force on the Mound

I watched a lot of Antoine Jean’s work this season, and frankly, the lefty was must-see baseball. Seventh round, 197th overall? That might end up looking like a bargain for the Rockies.

Jean was everything you’d want in a shutdown reliever: efficient, deceptive, and downright ruthless with a baseball in his hand. The numbers alone are video-game ridiculous:

Big 12 Pitcher of the Year — first reliever ever to claim that honor. 110 strikeouts — the most by a Cougar since 2018. 2.55 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and nearly 15 strikeouts per nine innings.

He didn’t just lead the Big 12 in key categories like ERA and WHIP, he was near the top nationally. Oh—and he made history as Houston’s 29th All-American, earning multiple First-Team All-America nods in the same season. Not bad for a Montreal kid who just etched his name alongside some of the greats in UH baseball history.

If you’re a Rockies fan, you might want to get familiar with this name. If you’re a Coogs fan, you already know.

Connor McGinnis: The Under-the-Radar Prize of the Transfer Class

On the other side of the ball, Connor McGinnis proved that you don’t have to play every game to leave an impression. The Frisco, Texas native joined UH for just this past season, transferring in from Blinn College, where he was part of a Juco national championship squad. He came to Houston along with Blinn teammates Cade Climie and Brandon Bishop—but by midseason, it was clear:

McGinnis was the real prize of that transfer haul.

Climie arrived with plenty of Big 12 preseason hype, but McGinnis quietly—and then loudly—proved to be the difference-maker in Todd Whitting’s lineup. He missed 24 games, but still led the Cougars in:

Batting average: .343 Slugging: .610 On-base: .450 Doubles: 14

He also posted a 10-game hitting streak, the second-longest on the team, and shined when it mattered. His 3-for-5, two-double, two-RBI outing against Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship First Round showed the clutch gene that could translate well in pro ball.

Left-handed bat, gap power, defensive reliability at second base—those tools caught the Yankees’ eye, and McGinnis became the 10th-round, 314th overall pick.

I wouldn’t bet against him making waves in the Yankees’ system—Frisco and Third Ward already know what he can do.

Draft Notes and Cougar History

Some cool draft tidbits, courtesy of Fletcher Like at UH:

• Jean: Fourth Cougar drafted by the Rockies, first since 2009.
• McGinnis: Third Cougar taken by the Yankees, first since 1992.
• Both players are now the highest Houston draft picks ever by those respective franchises.

Final Thoughts

Two Coogs off the board, two paths to watch closely. I’m thrilled for both Antoine Jean and Connor McGinnis—not just because they earned it, but because I had the privilege of seeing them in Cougar Red before they chase the dream in new colors.

I’ll definitely be tracking their minor league stops—and hope we’ll be seeing these guys on the big stage sooner rather than later.