Which Beavers, high school grads will get picked in the 2026 MLB Draft?

The 2026 MLB Draft begins begins July 11 and some Oregon State Beavers and even some Salem-area high school baseball players are candidates for selection.

The draft, which is a 20-round event, will be held in Philadelphia in tandem with MLB All-Star Week. Rounds one through four will be aired on NBC and Peacock July 11. The remaining rounds will take place July 12 on MLB.com.

Over 600 players will be called during the draft. Mock drafts and rankings from various outlets anticipate athletes from Oregon State, and athletes committed to Oregon State, to be selected.

A few high school players from the heart of Salem might also hear their names called.

South Salem High School duo testing waters

South Salem baseball has established itself as one of the Oregon's top programs. It's been churning out Division I talent and some professional prospects, such as Ryan Brown in the 2023 draft, over the last several years.

Recent graduates Teagan Scott and Sawyer Nelson are the latest to make waves.

Scott, a catcher who's signed on to Oregon State, earned Gatorade Player of the Year in Oregon this spring as he batted .568 with a state-best 11 home runs and an additional 35 RBIs. He's a brick wall behind the plate and collected several individual accolades as he helped the Saxons perform as one of the the state's winningest teams over the last four years.

After participating in the MLB Draft Combine in June, Scott's put his name on some draft boards. He's the No. 202 prospect on ESPN and listed in the outlet's category of players likely to go to college, but could sign with an MLB team if drafted.

"It's definitely a pretty hectic process," Scott said. "I've talked to a lot of pro teams and I talk to the Oregon State coaches almost every day ... My whole thing is I'm going to go where my heart is and what I think is best."

In the MLB's prospect rankings, Scott holds the No. 183 spot and is credited with good speed, power and arm strength. The combine showed him a lot of things he needs to work on, Scott said, and he looks forward to progressing. Where that will be, Scott said will be determined by countless factors.

"I've loved Oregon State for so long," Scott said. "It's kind of just a toss up and wait to see what happens on draft day, to be honest."

Nelson, a gun-running infielder with a good eye at the plate and a knack for stealing bases, has also been turning heads as a pro prospect. The Loyola Marymount commit hit nine home runs this spring, the second best tally in Oregon behind only his teammate, and stole a state-best 37 bases.

With the Marion Berries of the West Coast League this summer, Nelson's been named a league all-star and has already shattered the league's single-season walk record with over 20 games remaining.

On MLB's prospect rankings list, Nelson features at No. 187 and is described as one of the best hitters in Oregon whose athleticism and game IQ makes him an enticing prospect.

"We've played together for 10 years now so it's really fun to see us both go through it," Scott said of his and Sawyer's draft journey. "It was really nice during the season because we could kind of debrief to each other a little bit and talk through our struggles and what we were thinking and that kind of stuff ... having somebody to let some stress out on was really nice."

Which Oregon State players might get drafted?

Ethan Kleinschmit, the Beavers' lefty starter from the mound, is expected to be the first Oregon State player off the board this year.

The Kennedy High School graduate's meteoric rise to national prominence over the last three years saw him post a 9-2 win-loss record this past spring with a 3.74 earned-run average. He struck out 97 batters in 77 innings and held opponents to a .222 batting average.

Kleinschmit is MLB's No. 69 draft prospect and is widely regarded as a second- or third-round candidate. The 6-foot-3 southpaw boasts a three-pitch rotation as impactful as any in the NCAA and has captivated scouts everywhere with an impressive walk rate and control.

Read: Ethan Kleinschmit paves path from small-town standout to Oregon State

A slew of other pitchers that hail from Corvallis may also get selected in the 2026 draft. The Oregon State pitching staff, which started and finished as one of the best in the nation, may see seniors Eric Segura, Albert Roblez and Isaac Yeager all rostered by new clubs soon.

Segura, a weekend starter for OSU, posted a 6-2 record and 2.22 ERA in 15 starts. He struck out 82 batters and walked just 27 in 73 innings pitched this spring. Roblez, the Beavers' fearsome closer, was named a first-team all-American by numerous outlets by recording 14 saves and 53 strikeouts in 30 innings.

From relief, Yeager finished his senior season with a 6-2 record in 25 appearances. His 2.04 ERA in almost 40 innings pitched was complemented by 49 strikeouts and just 11 walks and a .184 opponents' batting average.

Blake Bowen, a 2008-born class of 2026 high school graduate and Oregon State commit, is grading as a second- or third-round draft prospect.

Bowen attended JSerra Catholic High School in California and registers as the MLB's No. 63 prospect and ESPN's No. 59 prospect. He's 6-feet, 3-inches tall and possesses upside and power with a bat in his hands, which makes him an enticing figure to many. The outfielder has been committed to Oregon State since June of 2022.

Grady Saunders, an OSU commit on the mound who graduated from Thurston High School, has also turned some heads in the draft process.

Landon Bartlett covers Oregon State and high school sports for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at LBartlett@statesmanjournal.com or on X, TikTok or Instagram @bartlelo.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Which Beavers, high school grads will get picked in the 2026 MLB Draft?