32 Appalachian League alumni selected in 2026 MLB Draft
One former Pulaski River Turtles among 32 selections
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Thirty-two Appalachian League alumni were selected in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft. The 32 selections are the second most in a single draft in league history, behind only 2024.
Carson Kerce (Johnson City ‘24) was the league’s first selection in 2026 when the Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him in the second round, 53rd overall. Kerce is tied for the fourth highest overall selection in league history.
Five alumni, including Kerce, were selected on Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft. Josh McDevitt (116th), Kam Durnin (121st), Russell Sandefer (132nd) and Alex Conover (134th) were all fourth round picks.
Four alumni selected played in the Appy League in 2026: Jack Beck (Burlington), Diego Gutierrez (Danville), McCarty English (Danville) and Aiden VanDeHatert (Greeneville). Beck and Gutierrez were both members of the Appy League Select Team that faced the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team on June 29.
Every Appy League team had at least one player selected in this year’s draft. Danville led the way with nine selections, the second most by a team in a single draft in league history behind Greeneville’s ten in 2024. Burlington and Kingsport both had five alumni drafted in 2026, while Greeneville had four.
The 32 alumni were selected by 17 different Major League organizations. The San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals led the way with four selections each, the second most in a single draft trailing only Colorado’s five selections in 2023. Eight MLB teams drafted multiple Appy League alumni.
The complete list of Appalachian League players selected;
|
Rd
|
Pick
|
Team
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
School
|
Appy Year
|
Appy League Team
|
|
2
|
53
|
Arizona Diamondbacks
|
Carson Kerce
|
SS
|
Georgia Tech
|
2024
|
Johnson City Doughboys
|
|
4
|
116
|
Arizona Diamondbacks
|
Josh McDevitt
|
RHP
|
Missouri
|
2024
|
Tri-State Coal Cats
|
|
4
|
121
|
Houston Astros
|
Kam Durnin
|
SS
|
Missouri
|
2025
|
Kingsport Axmen
|
|
4
|
132
|
Los Angeles Dodgers
|
Russell Sandefer
|
RHP
|
Florida
|
2024
|
Danville Otterbots
|
|
4C
|
134
|
San Diego Padres
|
Alex Conover
|
OF
|
Oklahoma State
|
2024-25
|
Danville Otterbots
|
|
5
|
157
|
San Diego Padres
|
James Guyette
|
RHP
|
Kansas State
|
2024
|
Danville Otterbots
|
|
6
|
167
|
Washington Nationals
|
Cooper Allen
|
RHP
|
UNC – Wilmington
|
2024
|
Burlington Sock Puppets
|
|
7
|
196
|
Washington Nationals
|
Gage Peterson
|
RHP
|
Appalachian State
|
2023
|
Johnson City Doughboys
|
|
8
|
231
|
Athletics
|
Aidan Weaver
|
RHP
|
Duke
|
2024
|
Burlington Sock Puppets
|
|
8
|
235
|
Miami Marlins
|
Rintaro Sasaki
|
1B
|
Stanford
|
2024
|
Greeneville Flyboys
|
|
9
|
264
|
St. Louis Cardinals
|
Jayden Lobliner
|
C
|
San Diego
|
Bristol ’23, Elizabethton ’24-25
|
|
|
9
|
268
|
San Francisco Giants
|
Mike Mancini
|
2B
|
Vanderbilt
|
2023
|
Kingsport Axmen
|
|
10
|
286
|
Washington Nationals
|
Nick Williams
|
OF
|
Michigan State
|
2024
|
Greeneville Flyboys
|
|
10
|
295
|
Miami Marlins
|
Zach Peters
|
RHP
|
Virginia Commonwealth
|
Princeton ’23,
Bluefield ’24
|
|
|
11
|
335
|
San Diego Padres
|
Chris McHugh
|
1B
|
North Carolina State
|
2024
|
Johnson City Doughboys
|
|
12
|
359
|
Kansas City Royals
|
Lance Hartley
|
RHP
|
College of Central Florida
|
2025
|
Burlington Sock Puppets
|
|
12
|
365
|
San Diego Padres
|
Rob Evans
|
LHP
|
Miami (FL)
|
2023
|
Burlington Sock Puppets
|
|
13
|
391
|
Houston Astros
|
Jack Beck
|
SS
|
Columbia Central HS (TN)
|
2026
|
Burlington Sock Puppets
|
|
13
|
396
|
Detroit Tigers
|
Jett Johnston
|
RHP
|
Auburn
|
Kingsport ’23,
Bristol ’24
|
|
|
14
|
422
|
Cincinnati Reds
|
Ray Ladd
|
RHP
|
Radford
|
2023-24
|
Danville Otterbots
|
|
15
|
434
|
Colorado Rockies
|
Ryan Niedzwiedz
|
1B
|
SIU – Edwardsville
|
2025
|
Bluefield Ridge Runners
|
|
15
|
446
|
Arizona Diamondbacks
|
Andrew Evans
|
RHP
|
Southern Illinois
|
2025
|
Danville Otterbots
|
|
16
|
471
|
Athletics
|
Tyler August
|
RHP
|
Liberty
|
2024
|
Danville Otterbots
|
|
16
|
482
|
Cincinnati Reds
|
Victor Christal
|
RHP
|
Johnson County CC
|
2025
|
Bluefield Ridge Runners
|
|
17
|
500
|
Baltimore Orioles
|
Diego Gutierrez
|
RHP
|
San Diego
|
2026
|
Danville Otterbots
|
|
17
|
503
|
Tampa Bay Rays
|
McCarty English
|
RHP
|
Southern Mississippi
|
2026
|
Danville Otterbots
|
|
17
|
505
|
Miami Marlins
|
Duke McCarron
|
RHP
|
Saint Joseph’s
|
2024
|
Kingsport Axmen
|
|
17
|
511
|
Houston Astros
|
Ben Tryon
|
IF
|
Dallas Baptist
|
2025
|
Kingsport Axmen
|
|
18
|
526
|
Washington Nationals
|
Avery Ortiz
|
IF
|
Oklahoma State
|
2024
|
Greeneville Flyboys
|
|
18
|
538
|
San Francisco Giants
|
Ryder Brooks
|
LHP
|
UC – Irvine
|
2023
|
Danville Otterbots
|
|
18
|
552
|
Toronto Blue Jays
|
Jake McCoy
|
LHP
|
South Carolina
|
2023
|
Pulaski River Turtles
|
|
20
|
604
|
Boston Red Sox
|
Aiden VanDeHatert
|
LHP
|
Dallas Baptist
|
2026
|
Greeneville Flyboys
|
About the Appalachian League
Founded in 1911, the Appalachian League is one of the longest-running baseball leagues in history. The Appy League is the only collegiate summer league under MLB and USA Baseball’s Prospect Development Pipeline (“PDP”) and is an integral part of the identification and development process for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Teams and other future National teams.
For more information about the Appalachian League, visit appyleague.com or follow @appyleague & @appyleaguedata on X, and @appyleague on Instagram