CHICAGO -- After seeing the Major League arrival of several top prospects on the position player side in recent years, it was evident that the Athletics now want to develop a similar emergence on the pitching side of things, and that was evident in the way Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft played out for them.
Following the selection of slugging Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress at No. 8 overall, the A’s closed out the day with a string of pitchers, selecting USC left-hander Mason Edwards and right-handers Gabe Gaeckle and Jacob Dudan with their next three picks before ending with UCLA shortstop Roman Martin in the fourth round.
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Day 2: Sunday, July 12 (Rounds 5-20)
• 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. ET (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
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“We were extremely happy with the pitchers that got to us,” said A’s scouting director Eric Kubota. “I wouldn’t say it was necessarily by design, but you always need pitching depth in your organization. It worked out that those were the guys that fell to us.”
While the top portion of this year’s Draft may have been thin on pitching -- only three were selected through the first 20 picks of the first round -- Kubota noted that there was good depth available as the first day went along.
“The college pitching was maybe not super strong at the very, very top of the Draft,” Kubota said. “But there was a lot of depth to it throughout the Draft. Both Edwards and Gaeckle are guys we identified really early. … We felt fortunate that they got to where they got.”
Mason Edwards, LHP
- Round 2, Pick 47
- Bats/throws: L/L
- School: USC
- Calling Card: Demonstrated excellent command throughout his college career while also racking up punchouts, with 267 strikeouts across 166 innings in three seasons at USC. With a fastball that can touch 95 mph and generate good swing-and-miss, along with a curveball that flashes plus and an above-average changeup, Edwards has all the ingredients to emerge as a solid starting pitcher in the Majors.
- Quote: “He was a very high performer. Led the country in strikeouts. It’s an easy comparison, but a lot of similarities to Barry Zito, who obviously had a really good career here.” -- Kubota
Gabe Gaeckle, RHP
- Competitive Balance Round B, Pick 73
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: Arkansas
- Calling Card: Has drawn comparisons from some scouts to Spencer Strider for his electric arsenal, highlighted by one of the most unhittable fastballs in the college ranks that sat 94-96 mph and touched 98 with quality carry. Also brings an overpowering mid-80s slider, low-80s curveball and upper-80s changeup.
- Quote: “We think he has the mix to be a really good starting pitcher. I think it was an easier transition from high school into the bullpen for him, and he had success there. … We do think he’s a starting pitcher down the road.” -- Kubota
Jacob Dudan, RHP
- Round 3, Pick 83
- Bats/throws: L/R
- School: North Carolina State
- Calling Card: Power fastball that touched 99 mph even as he shifted from a reliever to starter role and had him on track to become a first-round pick until an elbow injury in April required Tommy John surgery, which will keep him off the mound until 2027. Wipeout slider and upper-80s changeup with sink and fade rounds out his arsenal.
- Quote: “We saw him as a very high-profile guy. We thought the opportunity was such in that round that it was tough to pass up. We feel very good about the chances that he comes back to what he was. I don’t want to say it’s routine nowadays for guys that have surgery, but it is in a way, and he’s gotten it out of the way. We’re really excited to see what happens when Jacob can come back and throw.” -- Kubota
Roman Martin, SS
- Round 4, Pick 111
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: UCLA
- Calling Card: Excellent defender at shortstop who moved to third base in deference to star teammate Roch Cholowsky at UCLA. Can provide strong infield defense at three infield spots and demonstrated good plate discipline at the plate.
- Quote: “Our plan is to send him out at shortstop. They had a really good shortstop there already, and he was a really good third baseman. We think he can do that, but we do think he can play shortstop.” -- Kubota
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