UNC’s MLB Draft surge continues with trio of Day 2 picks

Three North Carolina players heard their names called on Day 2 of the 2026 MLB Draft, bringing the total number of Diamond Heels selected to seven.

That came after Jake Schaffner,Owen Hull, Jason DeCaro and Ryan Lynch were taken in the first four rounds, giving UNC four players in the top 100 picks for the first time. Schaffner went No. 20 overall to the Boston Red Sox, who later grabbed Hull at No. 67. DeCaro followed at No. 80 to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Lynch rounded out the early run when the San Diego Padres selected him at No. 97.

With that quartet off the board, attention shifted to Day 2 as the draft wrapped up Sunday with rounds 5-20.

Here are the Tar Heels selected on Day 2 of the 2026 MLB Draft.

C Macon Winslow

Round 6, No. 190 Overall, Philadelphia Phillies

Winslow became the fifth Tar Heel selected in the draft, moving on after just one season at Chapel Hill.

Winslow started 67 games for UNC and finished fourth on the team in RBIs (57) and home runs (10). In the regular season, he ranked second on the roster in RBIs (51) and third in both homers (9) and hits (58). Defensively, the Hertford, N.C., native registered the ACC’s second-best caught-stealing rate at .556, throwing out eight of 18 attempted base stealers on the way to Third-Team All-ACC honors.

Before transferring to North Carolina, Winslow spent two seasons at Duke, appearing in 100 games with 96 starts at catcher and in the outfield. He hit .267 for the Blue Devils with 61 runs scored, 33 extra-base hits and 65 RBIs.

RHP Matthew Matthijs

Round 17, No. 520 Overall, Seattle Mariners

Right-hander Matthew Matthijs became the sixth Tar Heel selected in the 2026 MLB Draft, going to the Seattle Mariners in the 17th round (No. 520 overall) after four seasons at North Carolina.

The Diamond Heel captain finished his UNC career with a 4.48 ERA and 153 strikeouts over 128 2/3 innings. As a senior, he worked exclusively out of the bullpen, appearing in 27 games and posting a 6.39 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 31 innings. His breakthrough came as a sophomore in 2024, when he went 12-4 with a 3.72 ERA across 36 appearances.

Matthijs now heads to the Pacific Northwest, joining a growing UNC presence in the Mariners organization that includes Luke Stevenson (2024-25) and Anthony Donofrio (2024).

Joseph Lawson

Round 20, No. 595 Overall, Miami Marlins

Joseph Lawson, a two-way standout from Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, Fla., became North Carolina’s final selection of the weekend when the Miami Marlins took him in the 20th round (No. 595 overall).

The incoming freshman catcher, first baseman and right-handed pitcher had signed with the Tar Heels before hearing his name called on the draft’s final day.

This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC’s MLB Draft surge continues with trio of Day 2 picks