The MLB Draft is an exciting time for amateur players who have their names called, but also for teams, fans and family members of those selected. And each year, the family connections for certain Draft picks are notable because of relatives who have played, managed or coached in the Majors or even other professional sports.
2026 MLB DRAFT PRESENTED BY NIPPON EXPRESS
Day 1: Saturday, July 11 (Rounds 1-4)
• 4:30-7:45 p.m. ET - Picks 41-135 (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
Day 2: Sunday, July 12 (Rounds 5-20)
• 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. ET (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
Coverage
Here's a look at this year's Draft picks with notable family ties:
Day 1 (Saturday)
Player: Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA (No. 2 prospect)
Drafted: 1st overall, White Sox
Relative: Dan Cholowsky (father, 8 pro seasons)
Dan Cholowsky 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.
Player: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech (No. 7 prospect)
Drafted: 8th overall, Athletics
Relative: Andy Burress (father)
Andy 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.
Player: Chris Hacopian, 2B, Texas A&M (No. 14 prospect)
Drafted: 11th overall, Nationals
Relative: Derek Hacopian (father)
Derek 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.
Player: Jacob Lombard, SS, Gulliver Prep (Fla.) (No. 5 prospect)
Drafted: 14th overall, Marlins
Relatives: George Lombard (father); George Lombard Jr. (brother)
George Lombard played in 144 big league games over six seasons and is currently the Tigers bench coach. George Lombard Jr. was the 26th overall pick in the 2023 Draft out of Gulliver Prep and is MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 prospect.
Player: Trey Ebel, SS, Corona (Calif.) (No. 107 prospect)
Drafted: 25th overall, Brewers
Relatives: Dino Ebel (father), Brady Ebel (brother)
Dino is the longtime Dodgers third base coach and spent six years in the Minor Leagues as a pro. Brady went 32nd overall a year ago, also to the Brewers. Currently with Single-A Wilson, he’s ranked as Milwaukee’s No. 13 prospect.
Player: Carson Wiggins, RHP, Arkansas (No. 88 prospect)
Drafted: 27th overall, Mets
Relative: Jaxon Wiggins (brother)
Jaxon was the 68th overall pick in 2023 to the Cubs and is currently MLB Pipeline’s No. 90 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.
Player: Taj Marchand, SS, James Island HS (SC) (No. 37 prospect)
Drafted: 33rd overall, Rays
Relative: Hugo Marchand (father)
Hugo was a seventh-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1997 and spent nine seasons playing minor league hockey.
Player: Landon Thome, 2B/3B, Nazareth Academy (IL) (No. 34 prospect)
Drafted: 34th overall, White Sox
Relative: Jim Thome (father)
While Landon is a hyped prospect, Jim 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.