Next man up from Mississippi: MLB's No. 6 Draft prospect set to join first-round lineage

Growing up in southern Mississippi, Eric Booth Jr. didn't watch much baseball. He recalls attending maybe one Mississippi Braves game before Atlanta's Double-A affiliate moved to Columbus, Ga., and he didn't have a big league team he rooted for.

Instead, he fell in love with the game while playing in his grandfather's yard.

"I started playing baseball at 3," Booth recalled. "I'd be outside hitting rocks with sticks all the time, and when I went by my Pawpaw's house, he would always throw baseballs to me. I always hit. It just came natural. I just felt like that sport was the sport I wanted to do.

"[My grandparents were] just hardworking all the time. They were loving and always giving. They would give you the clothes off their back if they needed to. Just staying with them all the time, working with my Pawpaw, just knowing that if you work hard, you can get what you want."

Now graduated from Oak Grove High School, Booth is well on his way to achieving his dream of playing in the Major Leagues. Step one is getting drafted, and he's sure to hear his name called early on Saturday, as his hard work has culminated in him ranking as the No. 6 prospect in his class.

Yes, sports are a family affair for the Booths. Eric's father, Eric Booth Sr., was a 34th-round Draft pick of the Blue Jays in 1993 but ultimately became a record-setting kick returner at nearby Southern Mississippi. The younger Booth is blessed with that same speed, the best in the entire 2026 class.

"I would say I'm a little better [athlete] than him, but he will probably disagree," Eric Booth Jr. said.

Booth is far from a one-dimensional burner, though. He has a high defensive ceiling in center and has worked diligently to improve his biggest weakness, his arm. Although he gave up playing on the gridiron in sixth grade, he will frequently throw a football to build up arm strength and stay loose, one of the many drills he's done to become a league-average thrower.

He makes consistent, hard contact from the left side of the plate using an unconventional setup with his hands pumping away from his body. It feels natural and works for him, and he shows a strong sense of the strike zone. There are some tweaks he's working on to add more power, like changing the movement in his hips, and he has the strength to reach 20-25 homers down the road.

Booth put that power on display during the home run derby at the Perfect Game All-American Classic last summer, when he went deep 15 times to take the crown.

"Knowing all the players out there trying to win it, I just got out there and told myself, 'Just stay with your swing and try not to do too much because you got a game right after this,'" Booth said. "I got out there and I ended up winning it, so it was amazing."

Naturally, Booth put on a show later, tying the game with a steal of home as fellow Mississippian Cole Prosek (No. 27 Draft prospect) went on to win MVP honors.

The Mississippi baseball connection is a small but tight community. Booth played in the same county as 2025 first-rounder JoJo Parker -- now the Blue Jays' top prospect and MLB's No. 27 overall -- and has grown close with him. They'll Snapchat, text, talk about what life is like navigating the eyes of countless scouts and executives.

"Great, great ballplayer, comes from a great family," Parker said. "I reached out to him earlier this year before his season started and wished him good luck because I knew he was in that place where he was going to be drafted, and I just told him if he ever needed anything he could reach out to me if he had any questions. He's a great guy and a good friend of mine."

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There was once a time when scouts wouldn't pay much attention to prep hitters out of Mississippi, especially as underclassmen. The state historically hasn't produced the type of hitters neighboring states like Alabama and Georgia have.

But players like Parker and Booth are changing that narrative. Konnor Griffin has quickly gone from 2024 first-rounder to No. 1 overall prospect to $140 million man. Austin Riley is a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger winner. Cooper Pratt (MIL No. 3/MLB No. 56) signed his own $50.75 million contract before debuting this year, and his dad coached Marlins No. 8 prospect Kemp Alderman.

"It came up a lot now, lately," Booth said. "Usually, back then, they didn't think Mississippi could progress with the talent, but now we're starting to show them that Mississippi is gonna be one of the tops here sooner than later."