2026 MLB Draft

[D-train]

Eckelman is ranked #429 by Baseball America. Here's the blurb:

Eckelman was a part-time player as a freshman with Ohio State in 2024, but he became the starting catcher as a sophomore in 2025 and has made steady offensive progress year-over-year. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound lefthanded hitter had a career-best season in 2026, when he hit .304/.422/.546 with eight home runs and 15 doubles in 53 games. Eckelman is a patient and selective hitter who made a ton of contact this spring, and managed an 87% overall contact rate and 93% in-zone contact rate. He’s never been a huge power hitter, but he can sneak a few balls over the fence to the pull side and has always walked at a respectable clip. He’s a 30-grade runner who should have the tools to stick behind the plate, including an above-average and accurate arm. Eckelman’s father, Alex, played baseball at Ohio State and is the VP of hitting for the Guardians.

Another Luke Stevenson?

[GL_Storm]

Eckelman is ranked #429 by Baseball America. Here's the blurb:

Eckelman was a part-time player as a freshman with Ohio State in 2024, but he became the starting catcher as a sophomore in 2025 and has made steady offensive progress year-over-year. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound lefthanded hitter had a career-best season in 2026, when he hit .304/.422/.546 with eight home runs and 15 doubles in 53 games. Eckelman is a patient and selective hitter who made a ton of contact this spring, and managed an 87% overall contact rate and 93% in-zone contact rate. He’s never been a huge power hitter, but he can sneak a few balls over the fence to the pull side and has always walked at a respectable clip. He’s a 30-grade runner who should have the tools to stick behind the plate, including an above-average and accurate arm. Eckelman’s father, Alex, played baseball at Ohio State and is the VP of hitting for the Guardians.

Another Luke Stevenson?

Probably an org player, but you never know. A guy like this could turn into a legitimate prospect with strong defensive skills and just enough offensive ability. I mean, look at Mitch Garver.

[GL_Storm]

The 9th round pick, #280, is RHP Drew Whalen from Auburn.

Baseball America has him at #410. Looks like he was pitching pretty well this year and then went down with TJ.

Here's the writeup:

Whalen was one of the top arms for Western Kentucky in 2025 when he made 16 starts. He transferred to Auburn in 2026 and pitched well in his first six appearances, but left a March 14 game with an arm injury and eventually had Tommy John surgery that ended his season. He’s a strong and filled-out righthander with a 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame and some effort in his delivery, but a solid five-pitch mix when healthy. Before getting hurt, Whalen averaged 93 mph with his fastball and touched 96, while also mixing a mid-80s slider, a low-80s sweeper variant, a mid-70s curveball and a mid-80s changeup.

[GL_Storm]

The 10th round pick, #310, is 2B Eric Jeon from Stanford. He's unranked by Baseball America.

[rockycola]

Yost and Ford should be able to compete for those several roster spots reserved for TOTAL HACKS WHO STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN AN OPS ABOVE .600 AND A NON-NEGATIVE WAR that Jerry usually fills through free agent signings.

They're just org players.

I don't get Yost at all but Ford might have a chance....

Maybe Yost is in the the bloodline of the 3 past MLB Yostesses that played MLB.
Hey, some people pay $100,000 for thoroughbred sperm.

[D-train]

The 10th round pick, #310, is 2B Eric Jeon from Stanford. He's unranked by Baseball America.

Another nice bat! .323/.965

[GL_Storm]

I don't really get what they're doing this year with all of these college position players. I would have thought some of these picks would go to arms that you could project to the bullpen, which hasn't been good for a while.

[D-train]

I don't really get what they're doing this year with all of these college position players. I would have thought some of these picks would go to arms that you could project to the bullpen, which hasn't been good for a while.

Nobody drafts BP arms. They just wait for starters to fail.

[GL_Storm]

I don't really get what they're doing this year with all of these college position players. I would have thought some of these picks would go to arms that you could project to the bullpen, which hasn't been good for a while.

Nobody drafts BP arms. They just wait for starters to fail.

Sure. You draft arms and you always try to get starters, but some of these guys are more obvious bullpen types than others.

[GL_Storm]

The 11th round pick, #340, is RHP Wyatt Queen from Oregon State. Queen is a college Senior.