58 MLB Draft League players selected in 2026 MLB Draft

The 2026 MLB Draft featured the most MLB Draft League selections in its six-year history with 58, surpassing 2024 by six. The league also featured 36 draft picks who had played in the 2026 season, tying 2024 and 2025 for the most picks in the same summer they played. Overall, the Draft League has seen 291 players selected in the MLB Draft since the league’s inception in 2021.

SS Elliot Lascelles became the highest draft league selection as the 60th overall pick (second round) by the San Diego Padres. The 18-year-old passes Sabin Ceballos (2022 Williamsport Crosscutters, Giants), who was the 94th overall pick in 2023 all-time and Devin Saltiban (2023 West Virginia Black Bears, Phillies) for the highest selection in the same year they competed in the league at 98th in 2023. Lascelles, as a result, would pass Saltiban as the highest selected pick out of high school. The Ontario native led the Canadian offense this summer, even claiming MLB Draft League Player of the Week honors for June 16-21. He would also play with Baseball Canada’s Junior National Team in the 2025 MLB Draft League International Series.

Three picks later, the New York Yankees selected LHP Sean Duncan who impressed last summer as an 11th grader with Canada, as the 63rd overall pick. Baseball Canada’s Junior National team would feature three more picks between Rounds 8 and 20 with 3B Robert Omidi (Tigers No. 246), RHP Damarcus Rideout-Carter (Pirates No. 408) and RHP Will Zielinski (Tigers No. 606).

In the fourth round, SS Dominic Pellegrin (2026 State College Spikes) was the first member of the six full-season Draft League teams to be selected with the 125th overall pick by the Detroit Tigers. From Holy Cross High School in Louisiana, the 19-year-old is the 11th highest selection in league history and sixth highest prep draft pick. Pellegrin, who hit .375 in 12 games, is now the Spikes’ highest drafted player in the team’s MLB Draft League history, passing Robert Hipwell’s (2024) 178th overall selection by the San Francisco Giants.

Along with the Canadians and Pellegrin, the only other high school selection from this year was RHP David Hinojosa (2026 Trenton Thunder) by the Cincinnati Reds 452nd overall in the 15th round. With seven overall drafted from the 2026 prep class, it beat 2025's total of five for the most in MLB Draft League history.

The 51 college picks would also be the most selections in league history, surpassing 2024’s total of 47. The group was led by SS Owen Henne (2026 West Virginia Black Bears) who was the fourth selection at pick No. 175 (sixth round) by the St. Louis Cardinals out of Division II Seton Hill. Forty-five of this year’s collegiate total were selected out of the Division I level, another all-time high over the 42 in 2024.

After Henne, 3B Sherman Johnson was taken 212th overall in the seventh round by the Cincinnati Reds. Johnson, who appeared in two games of the 2025 MLB Draft League International Series was the first pre-2026 prospect selection to put on a Draft League uniform. RHP Max Hansmann (2025 Frederick Keys), the following pick at 226 in the eighth round by the Washington Nationals, was the first alumni prospect who appeared in the regular season to be drafted.

For the sixth consecutive year, pitchers led the way with 34 arms selected, tied for the most pitchers taken in the league’s history with 2025. The group included 28 right-handers and six southpaws, the second and highest totals in the past six drafts respectively. Across the league’s teams, the West Virginia Black Bears had the most pitchers drafted with 10 - a new draft best passing eight from the Black Bears in 2022, Spikes in 2023 and Thunder in 2025.

With a total of nine draft picks, the 10th round set an all-time record for the most ahead of 2024’s 16th round of seven. On four occasions of the round, Draft leaguers went on back-to-back picks featuring OF Matthew Bucciero (White Sox No. 285, 2026 Trenton Thunder), OF Nick Williams (Nationals No. 286, 2026 Mahoning Valley Scrappers), RHP Luc Rising (Angels No. 289, 2026 Trenton Thunder), UTL Carlos Sanchez (Orioles No. 290, 2026 Mahoning Valley Scrappers), 1B Ben Zeigler-Namoa (Braves No. 292, 2025 West Virginia Black Bears), RHP Tazwell Butler (Astros No. 301, 2026 West Virginia Black Bears), RHP Conner Griffin (Reds No. 302, 2026 State College Spikes), C Augie Lopez (Padres No. 305, 2026 Trenton Thunder) and RHP Jack Turner (Tigers No. 306, 2026 Trenton Thunder & State College Spikes).

Amongst the league’s teams, West Virginia featured 15 draft picks setting another all-time high for the most by one team in a Draft. Behind the 2025 MLB Draft League champions, the Trenton Thunder’s 12 draft picks rank second all-time and are followed by the Williamsport Crosscutters’ 10, then the Mahoning Valley Scrappers’ seven and State College’s five. The Aberdeen IronBirds, in their first MLB Draft League season, had two players selected with OF Ryan Pruitt going 271st overall (ninth round) to the Astros and SS Owen Clyne selected 459th overall (15th round) by the Phillies.

The Cincinnati Reds would tie the MLB organizational record with six MLB Draft League selections, contributing to the National League’s leading 28 total to the American’s 23. The NL Central would also account for a leading 14 picks. The Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers would draft the second most with four. Five teams would draft three players in the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals.

Complete list of MLB Draft League players selected in the 2026 MLB Draft and their round:

Aberdeen IronBirds