Major League Baseball wrapped up its 2026 Draft during All-Star Weekend in Philadelphia, with 613 players selected over 20 rounds as teams added the next wave of prospects to their farm systems.
The Chicago White Sox opened the draft by selecting UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick, a selection many analysts considered one of the safest in the class. The first round featured 25 selections after five teams lost draft positions because of luxury tax penalties.
The Reds used the 18th overall pick on Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron, adding another highly regarded infielder to the organization’s pipeline. One pick later, the Guardians selected Florida right-hander Liam Peterson with the 19th overall selection, bolstering a farm system already known for developing pitching.
Several players with Ohio ties also heard their names called throughout the three-day draft.
The highest-selected Ohio product was University of Cincinnati catcher Jack Natili, who went 76th overall to the Colorado Rockies. Cincinnati also saw teammates Nathan Taylor and Dominic Mauro selected later in the draft.
Moeller High School standout Matt Ponatoski was the lone Ohio high school player drafted, with the Reds selecting the right-hander. Ponatoski, who is also committed to play football at Kentucky, now faces a decision between beginning his professional baseball career or honoring his college commitment.
Ohio schools continued to produce professional talent throughout the draft. Xavier had two players selected in Clay Burdette and Ryan Piech, while Ohio State’s Mason Eckelman, Miami’s Austin Berggren, Dayton’s Michael Smith Jr., Toledo’s Charlie Scholvin, Bowling Green’s Ethan Stade and Wright State’s Andrew Duncan also came off the board.
The draft continued recent trends around baseball, with clubs favoring experienced college players. More than 77% of the selections came from four-year colleges, while pitchers accounted for 346 of the 613 players drafted.
The University of Georgia led all schools with 13 players selected, followed by Arkansas with 12. California produced the most drafted players with 95, ahead of Texas and Florida.
Among the more notable late-round selections, the Milwaukee Brewers drafted Carsten Sabathia, the son of former Cy Young Award winner CC Sabathia, in the 20th round. The draft concluded with the Los Angeles Dodgers selecting Illinois left-hander Zach Bates with the 613th and final pick.