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 are developing a similar emergence on the pitching side. That was evident in how Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft played out for them on Sunday.
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.
“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 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.
- 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
More on A's 2026 Draft
Rounds 5-10
There was heavy chatter that the A’s might go catcher in the first round, with several mock drafts linking them to Arkansas’ Ryder Helfrick, who ended up going to the D-backs at pick No. 15. Instead, the A’s waited until the sixth to address the position, taking backstop Alex Sosa out of Miami at pick No.172.
Player to watch: Alex Sosa, C
- Round 6
- Bats/throws: L/R
- School: Miami
- Calling Card: Flashed big power during his college career, particularly this past season at Miami, as he launched 18 home runs with 71 RBIs while batting .338 with a 1.119 OPS in 59 games for the Hurricanes. Behind the dish, he makes up for fringy arm strength with a quick release, and his ability to bat left-handed helps project him as at least a platoon player at the Major League level.
Rounds 11-15
Pitching was the focus in this range as the A’s selected pitchers with three of their five picks. Before that, though, it began with Wake Forest outfielder Javar Williams, a former college teammate of Nick Kurtz, in the 11th round.
Player to watch: Nathan Aceves, RHP
- Round 12
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: UC Santa Barbara
- Calling Card: Part of a rotation with star teammate Jackson Flora, who went fourth overall in this year’s Draft to the Giants, Aceves was the Saturday starter for the Gauchos. While he wasn’t as dominant as Flora, the 6-foot-3 right-hander did earn an All-Big West Honorable Mention. His combination of size and arsenal – which includes a fastball in the 93-95 mph range that can reach 97 mph, along with a plus changeup, average curveball and slider – gives him a good chance to develop into a solid starter.
Rounds 16-20
The A’s have been known to take a flier on high school guys late in Drafts. This year’s case is rather intriguing in left-hander Jake Escalante of Soquel (Calif.) High School. Escalante was a two-way standout at Soquel and was projected to go much earlier in the Draft until an elbow injury in June that required Tommy John surgery. Escalante has a commitment to Cal State Fullerton, and it remains unclear at this point whether the A’s will be able to sign him.
Player to watch: Jake Escalante, LHP
- Round 19
- Bats/throws: R/L
- School: Soquel (Calif.) High School
- Calling Card: The A’s had the opportunity to scout Escalante somewhat locally as he played high school ball in nearby Santa Cruz. He was a two-way star at Soquel, earning Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Player of the Year honors twice. He dominated this past spring with a 1.35 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 57 innings before a torn UCL in June that required Tommy John surgery. He has shown off a fastball in the 91-93 mph range along with a strong curveball.