Famous names in the 2026 Draft class

The 2025 MLB Draft began with the son of a former big leaguer going No. 1 and another going No. 4, with plenty more familiar names to follow. So it goes with the Draft, which often features prospects whose names ring a bell to longtime baseball fans.

Here we are again in 2026, with this year’s Draft set to begin on Saturday and conclude on Sunday.

TOP NAMES TO KNOW

Landon Thome, 2B/3B, Nazareth Academy (IL) – No. 34 prospect
While Landon is a hyped prospect, Jim Thome (father) was a mere 13th-round pick by Cleveland in the 1989 Draft out of Illinois Central College. From those humble origins, though, he developed into a first-ballot Hall of Famer (2018) who ranks eighth on the all-time home run list with 612. The five-time All-Star ultimately spent 22 seasons in the big leagues for six teams, with 13 of those coming with Cleveland.

Joseph Contreras, RHP, Blessed Trinity (GA) – No. 64 prospect
José Contreras (father), who spent parts of 11 MLB seasons with the Yankees, White Sox, Rockies, Phillies and Pirates. Born in Las Martinas, Cuba, José had a pristine career in Cuba before signing with the Yankees. He debuted in 2003 with New York in 2003, but was traded to the White Sox the following year. Contreras would play a pivotal role in Chicago’s 2005 World Series title (3.61 ERA in 32 regular-season outings, 3.09 ERA in four postseason outings). He made his first and only All-Star Game the following season in 2006.

Peyton Bonds, OF, Rutgers – No. 81 prospect
Bobby Bonds Jr. (father) who played 11 years of pro ball with the Padres, Giants and in indy ball. Bobby Bonds (grandfather) hit 332 home runs and stole 461 bases in 14 MLB seasons from 1968-81. Barry Bonds (uncle) set an MLB record with 762 career home runs and seven Most Valuable Player Awards. Bobby and Barry Bonds are one of the most prolific father-son duos in baseball history.

Carsten Sabathia III, 1B, Houston
CC Sabathia (father) is a first-ballot Hall of Famer (2025 class). CC pitched in 19 MLB seasons with the Yankees, Indians and Brewers, compiling 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts. He won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award with Cleveland and a World Series title with the Yankees in 2009 and was a six-time All-Star. Sabathia is one of 20 members of the 3,000 strikeout club and one of the four left-handed pitchers in that exclusive club.

Luke Pettitte, RHP, Dallas Baptist
Andy Pettitte (father) spent parts of 18 MLB seasons with the Yankees (15 seasons) and Astros (three) from 1995-2013. The left-hander was a three-time All-Star and won five World Series titles with the Yankees. He was part of the famous “Core Four” that was the foundation of the Yankees’ late-90s/early 2000s dynasty, which included Pettitte, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada. Pettitte had a 3.85 ERA and won 256 career games.

MORE NOTABLE NAMES IN BASEBALL

Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep (FL) – No. 5 prospect
George Lombard (father) played in 144 big league games over six seasons and is currently the Tigers bench coach. He may well end up with two big league sons; George Lombard Jr. (brother) was the 26th overall pick in the 2023 Draft out of Gulliver Prep and is MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 prospect.

Cole Prosek, 3B/C, Magnolia Heights (MS) – No. 27 prospect
Matt Erickson (uncle) is currently the Brewers’ third-base coach. He played four Major League games with Milwaukee in 2004, going 1-for-6 with the lone hit coming against Greg Maddux.

Gavin Grohovac, 1B, Texas A&M – No. 38 prospect
Garrett Mitchell (cousin) is currently an outfielder for the Brewers. Selected 20th overall in the 2020 Draft out of UCLA, Mitchell debuted in 2022 and is in his fifth season with Milwaukee. After enduring multiple injuries early in his career, he’s enjoyed a breakout 2026 season. Mike Grohovac (father) was selected by the Giants in the fourth round of the 1989 Draft.

Andrew Williamson, OF, Central Florida – No. 52 prospect
Sean Rodríguez (uncle) played parts of 13 seasons in MLB with the Angels, Rays, Pirates, Braves, Phillies and Marlins. A third-round pick of the Angels in 2003, Rodríguez posted a career-best 3.7 Baseball-Reference WAR for the Rays in 2010.

Will Gasparino, OF, UCLA – No. 72 prospect
Billy Gasparino (father) is the Dodgers’ vice president of baseball operations, his second season in the role and 11th overall season with the club. He previously served as the vice president of amateur scouting.

Carson Wiggins, RHP, Arkansas – No. 88 prospect
Jaxon Wiggins (brother) was 68th overall pick in 2023 to the Cubs and is currently MLB Pipeline’s No. 92 overall prospect. Jaxon, who also played at Arkansas, has yet to make his MLB debut but could do so in 2026, as he’s with Triple-A Iowa and working back from an early season injury.

Trey Ebel, SS, Corona (CA) – No. 107 prospect
Dino Ebel (father) is the longtime Dodgers third base coach and spent six years in the Minor Leagues as a pro. Brady Ebel (brother) went 32nd overall a year ago to the Brewers. Currently with Single-A Wilson, he’s ranked as Milwaukee’s No. 14 prospect.

Jaxon Willits, SS, Oklahoma – No. 117 prospect
Eli Willits (brother) was the first overall pick to the Nationals in the 2025 Draft, now ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 overall prospect. Reggie Willits (father) played parts of six seasons in MLB with the Angels and is currently the associate head coach at Oklahoma.

Ethan Norby, LHP, East Carolina – No. 167 prospect
Connor Norby (brother) was a second-round pick of the Orioles in 2021, also out of East Carolina. A key piece of the Trevor Rogers trade with the Marlins, he’s currently with Triple-A Jacksonville.

Ryan Lujo, OF, Georgia – No. 189 prospect
Rennie Stennett (grandfather) played 11 years in MLB with the Pirates and Giants. He was part of Pittsburgh’s 1971 and 1979 World Series teams, and he received down-ballot MVP votes in both 1974 and 1977.

Parker Detmers, RHP, Louisville
Reid Detmers (brother) is a left-handed starting pitcher and in his sixth season with the Angels. Reid was the 10th overall pick in 2020. Kris Detmers (father) played six seasons in the Minor Leagues after being a 22nd-round selection of the Cardinals in 1993.

Eddie Madrigal, IF, Auburn
Nick Madrigal (cousin) was the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft to the White Sox out of Oregon State. The infielder has played in six MLB seasons and is currently with the Durham Bulls, Triple-A affiliate of the Rays, after spending time with the Angels in 2026.

Zach Yorke, IF, LSU
Nick Yorke (brother) was a first-round pick of the Red Sox in 2020 and is currently with the Pirates in Triple-A, debuting in 2024. Robyn Yorke (mother) was a four-time All-American and national champion with Fresno State softball.

Aiden Teel, OF, Mississippi State
Kyle Teel (brother), a catcher on the White Sox, was a 2023 first-round Draft pick by the Red Sox. He was a key part of Chicago’s return in its trade of pitcher Garrett Crochet in December 2024.

Max Hartman, OF, Washington State
Eric Hartman (brother) was a 20th-round pick by the Braves in 2024 and is currently the No. 79 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

Rintaro Sasaki, 1B, Stanford
Hiroshi Sasaki (father) is the head coach at Hanamaki Higashi High School, which produced Shohei Ohtani.

Luke Nixon, 2B, North Carolina State
Trot Nixon (father) was an outfielder who recorded an .828 OPS through 12 Major League seasons and won the 2004 World Series with the Red Sox.

Kolt Myers, SS, Florida
Brett Myers (father) was a first-round Draft pick by the Phillies in 1999 and pitched 12 seasons in the Majors. He was a member of Philadelphia’s World Series-winning team in 2008.

SUCCESS IN OTHER SPORTS

Camden Johnson, 3B, Oklahoma – No. 116 prospect
Joe Driskill (uncle) made it to the NFL with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1960 and ‘61, while Mark Johnson (uncle) was a National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete at Northwestern State.

Jorvorskie Lane Jr., OF, Grapevine HS (TX) – No. 202 prospect
Jorvorskie Sr. (father) played three years in the NFL. He holds the all-time career record for rushing touchdowns at Texas A&M (49).

John Abraham, RHP, Florida State
T.J. Brodie (cousin) had a 15-year career in the NHL as a defenseman. He played for Calgary, Toronto and Chicago.

Tyler Albright, OF, Duke
Ethan Albright (uncle) played 16 seasons as a long snapper in the NFL with Washington, Buffalo, Miami and San Diego. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2008.

Brody DeLamielleure, OF, Florida State
Joe DeLamielleure (cousin) is a Pro Football Hall of Famer who was a six-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro over 13 seasons as an NFL guard.

Codey Gauff, C/OF, ESB Academy (FL)
Coco Gauff (sister) is the world's seventh-ranked women's tennis player and winner of 11 WTA singles titles, including the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open.

OTHER TOP-250 PROSPECT FAMILY TIES

Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA – No. 2 prospect
Dan Cholowsky (father) was the 39th overall pick in the 1991 Draft by the Cardinals and reached Triple-A over eight seasons in the Minors. He’s now a scout for the Reds.

Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech – No. 7 prospect
Andy Burress (father) was chosen by the Reds in the sixth round of the 1995 Draft and spent seven seasons in the Minors. He is the owner of 5 Star National Baseball, a travel baseball organization that operates from coast to coast.

Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M – No. 14 prospect
Derek Hacopian (father) was a 23rd-round Draft pick by Cleveland in 1992 after being named the ACC Player of the Year at Maryland. He batted .492 with 23 home runs and 83 RBIs, leading the conference in all three categories.

Aiden Ruiz, SS, The Stony Brook School (NY) – No. 32 prospect
Samuel Ruiz (father) played two seasons of pro ball after he was selected by the White Sox in the 20th round of the 1985 Draft.

Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M – No. 33 prospect
Tom Griffin (grandfather) pitched in MLB for 14 seasons (1969-82), spending his first eight years with the Astros. He led MLB in strikeouts per nine innings (9.6) as a rookie. Billy Sorrell (grandfather) played in the Majors for the Phillies (1965), Giants (1967) and Royals (1970), hitting five home runs in 85 total games.

Taj Marchand, SS, James Island HS (SC) – No. 37 prospect
Hugo Marchand (father) was a seventh-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1997 and spent nine seasons playing minor league hockey.

Eric Becker, SS, Virginia – No. 41 prospect
Nick Becker (brother) was selected by the Mariners in the second round of the 2025 Draft out of high school. Seattle’s No. 8 prospect, he was committed to play college baseball at Virginia, the school his older brother Eric attended.

Jarren Advincula, 2B, Georgia Tech – No. 48 prospect
Jonah Advincula (brother) was an eighth-round Draft pick by the Guardians in 2023 and is playing his fourth season in Cleveland’s system.

Rocco Maniscalco, SS, Oxford HS (AL) – No. 49 prospect
Matt Maniscalco (father) was the Rays’ eighth-round Draft pick in 2003, playing six seasons in Tampa Bay’s system and reaching Triple-A.

Kaden Waechter, RHP, Jesuit HS (FL) – No. 57 prospect
Doug Waechter (father), a St. Petersburg, Fla., native, was drafted by his hometown Rays in the third round in 1999 and pitched in MLB for six seasons: 2003-06 with Tampa Bay, 2008 with the Marlins and 2009 with the Royals.

Mulivai Levu, 1B, UCLA – No. 62 prospect
Blake Sabol (cousin) was a seventh-round Draft pick by the Pirates in 2017 and played in parts of three MLB seasons with the Giants and Red Sox. He is currently in the Rays’ system

Tre Phelps, 3B, Georgia – No. 121 prospect
Angel Robinson (aunt) spent three seasons in the WNBA, playing for the Seattle Storm (2014) and Phoenix Mercury (2017-18).

Ethan McElvain, LHP, Arkansas – No. 144 prospect
Chris McElvain (brother) was the Reds’ eighth-round Draft pick in 2022. He has been playing in the Blue Jays’ system since 2024.

Dalton Wentz, 3B/2B, Wake Forest – No. 165 prospect
Lenny Wentz (father) played three seasons in the Minors, split between the Reds and Padres.

Jet Berry, SS, Queen Creek HS (AZ) – No. 191 prospect
Jacob Berry (brother) was the No. 6 pick in the 2022 Draft by the Marlins and is currently playing at Triple-A Jacksonville. Perry Berry (father) played four seasons in the Astros’ system after Houston selected him in the fourth round of the 1990 Draft.