CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – For the first time in Atlantic Coast Conference history, four of the top 10 selections in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft came from the league. The ACC's four top-10 picks were the most of any conference and highlighted the league's six first-round selections on Saturday.
In all, the ACC had 19 selections on the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft, which featured Rounds 1-4. Rounds 5-20 will take place on Sunday, July 12, beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET on MLB.com and MLB.tv.
This marks the 35th consecutive year that at least one ACC player has been selected in the opening round of the MLB Draft and the 11th straight year that the ACC has placed at least one draftee among the top 15 picks. The ACC has also had multiple student-athletes drafted in the first round for each of the last 24 drafts, with three or more first-round picks in 11 of the last 12 draft classes.
The ACC’s selections opened with Georgia Tech’s Vahn Lackey being selected by the Minnesota Twins with the third overall pick. Lackey is the fifth Yellow Jackets backstop to be taken in the first round in the past 35 years, joining Jason Varitek, Matt Wieters, Joey Bart and Kevin Parada. The 2026 ACC Defensive Player of the Year hit .397 with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs in 61 games, steering Georgia Tech to both ACC regular-season and tournament titles.
Zion Rose became the 11th player in Louisville history to be selected in the first round when the Kansas City Royals selected him with the sixth overall pick. Rose is also the highest Louisville Cardinal to be selected in the MLB Draft since Henry Davis went No. 1 overall in 2021. In just 36 games and 35 starts this season, Rose posted a .417 batting average, .491 on-base percentage and .646 slugging percentage, collecting six home runs, 47 RBIs, 13 doubles, a triple, 19 walks and 24 stolen bases.
For the third consecutive season, the Athletics opened the draft by selecting an ACC standout. After taking 2025 American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz from Wake Forest in 2024 and Florida State standout Jamie Arnold in 2025, the Athletics selected Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress with the No. 8 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. Burress, the Georgia Tech all-time leader in career home runs, hit .357 with 60 homers and a 1.204 OPS in just three seasons in Atlanta. In addition to Georgia Tech’s home run record, Burress also owns the program's BBCOR era records for RBIs (189), doubles (61), runs (232) and total bases (503).
Just one selection later, at No. 9 overall, the Atlanta Braves selected Virginia outfielder AJ Gracia. After following head coach Chris Pollard from Duke to Charlottesville this past season, Gracia became the first Virginia player selected in the first round since catcher Kyle Teel went 14th overall in 2023. Gracia posted an OPS over 1.000 each season of his collegiate career, peaking at 1.121 this past spring. He also hit 43 homers and 39 doubles on a .317 average over his career.
After helping lead North Carolina to the 2026 Men’s College World Series, shortstop Jake Schaffner was selected at No. 20 overall by the Boston Red Sox. Schaffner led all NCAA Division I players with 13 triples in 2026, adding 19 doubles, six homers, 50 RBIs and 26 stolen bases in 29 attempts over 68 games. Schaffner became the third Tar Heel to be drafted in the first round in the last three years, joining Vance Honeycutt (2024) and Luke Stevenson (2025).
The Houston Astros selected Notre Dame right-handed pitcher Jack Radel with the No. 28 overall pick. Radel is the highest draft pick out of Notre Dame since Eric Jagielo was selected 26th overall in 2013. The South Dakota native was a first-team All-ACC selection and a third-team All-American pick by D1Baseball and Perfect Game after posting an 8-3 record with a 3.29 ERA in 15 starts, tossing two complete games and recording 116 strikeouts.
Eight ACC standouts were selected in the second round. The Los Angeles Angels selected Georgia Tech second baseman Jarren Advincula at No. 45 overall, followed by the Baltimore Orioles taking NC State outfielder Ty Head at No. 46. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Georgia Tech shortstop Carson Kerce at No. 53 overall. Four picks later, the Houston Astros picked their second ACC pitcher of the draft, taking 2026 ACC Pitcher of the Year Wes Mendes, a left-hander from Florida State, at No. 57. One pick later, the Cincinnati Reds drafted Virginia shortstop Eric Becker at No. 58 overall.
North Carolina outfielder Owen Hull was taken at No. 67 by the Boston Red Sox, while Virginia Tech right-handed pitcher Brett Renfrow was drafted by the Minnesota Twins with the 74th pick. With the final pick of the second round, Florida State first baseman Myles Bailey was selected at No. 75 by the Chicago Cubs.
The ACC saw four more players selected in the third round, highlighted by a pair of pitchers from North Carolina. Jason DeCaro, the Tar Heels’ Friday-night starter, was taken at No. 80 overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates, while Ryan Lynch, North Carolina’s Saturday starter, was selected by the San Diego Padres at No. 97. NC State right-handed pitcher Jacob Dudan and Florida State outfielder Brayden Dowd were also taken in the third round at No. 83 (Athletics) and No. 88 (Arizona Diamondbacks), respectively.
Wake Forest’s Kade Lewis was the league’s lone fourth-round selection after hearing his name called by the Cleveland Guardians at No. 123 overall.
2026 MLB Draft Picks from the ACC
Day One Selections (Rounds 1-4)
Round/Overall
1/3 - Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech, Minnesota Twins
1/6 - Zion Rose, OF, Louisville, Kansas City Royals
1/8 - Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech, Athletics
1/9 - AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia, Atlanta Braves
1/20 - Jake Schaffner, SS, North Carolina, Boston Red Sox
PPI/28 - Jack Radel, RHP, Notre Dame, Houston Astros
2/45 - Jarren Advincula, 2B, Georgia Tech, Los Angeles Angels
2/46 - Ty Head, OF, NC State, Baltimore Orioles
2/53 - Carson Kerce, SS, Georgia Tech, Arizona Diamondbacks
2/57 - Wes Mendes, LHP, Florida State, Houston Astros
2/58 - Eric Becker, SS, Virginia, Cincinnati Reds
CB-B/67 - Owen Hull, OF, North Carolina, Boston Red Sox
CB-B/74 - Brett Renfrow, RHP, Virginia Tech, Minnesota Twins
2C/75 - Myles Bailey, 1B, Florida State, Chicago Cubs
3/80 - Jason DeCaro, RHP, North Carolina, Pittsburgh Pirates
3/83 - Jacob Dudan, RHP, NC State, Athletics
3/88 - Brayden Dowd, OF, Florida State, Arizona Diamondbacks
3/97 - Ryan Lynch, RHP, North Carolina, San Diego Padres
4/123 - Kade Lewis, 3B, Wake Forest, Cleveland Guardians