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.
