​Ryan Piech is among a group of five former Walsh Jesuit High School baseball players who are on major league scouts’ radar as the 2026 MLB Draft approaches. The two-day event is scheduled for July 11-12, with the first four rounds taking place on Saturday and the remaining 16 rounds on Sunday. Here’s a closer look at Piech, a 2023 Walsh Jesuit graduate who starred for Xavier University last season.
Where does Piech fit in the draft projections? Perfect Game currently slots Piech at the 184th overall pick. Which organization could make the selection? If this projection holds, Piech would be selected by the Cleveland Guardians with the 20th pick of the sixth round. What is Piech’s current college status? He just finished his junior year at Xavier University.
Piech’s numbers from last season provide a strong snapshot: he is a right-handed pitcher who went 8-3 with a 3.18 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 14 starts and 76 1/3 innings for Xavier. Those wins and strikeouts led the Musketeers. Across two seasons at Xavier, Piech logged a 12-4 record with a 3.71 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 136 innings. He earned first-team All-Big East honors in 2026 and was named to the second team in 2025.
What Walsh Jesuit baseball coach Joe Bowers had to say about Piech: “Ryan is special. He’s built like a pro pitcher. He throws like a pro pitcher. He talks like I imagine a pro pitcher would talk. He’s just got it. He’s had it for a long time. Everyone has known it. He knows how to work it and puts in the effort to improve, too.” Piech, a starting pitcher for Xavier, delivered a notable performance in the Big East Tournament against UConn at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio, on May 21, 2026.
Walsh Jesuit’s program has a storied history of sending players to the professional ranks. The school famously matched its own draft milestone in 2010, when three Walsh Jesuit alumni were selected in a 50-round draft: Johnny Fasola went to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 36th round, Greg Greve was taken by the San Francisco Giants in the 45th round, and Tyler Skulina was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 46th round. Since then, Walsh Jesuit has continued to see its former players reach the minor leagues and beyond, with 12 alumni progressing to the major or higher levels of professional baseball.
Piech’s potential path to the majors continues to draw attention among scouts and teams evaluating pitching depth for the draft’s mid-to-late rounds. As a left-handed pitcher who can log a high volume of strikeouts and rack up innings at the collegiate level, Piech would present a compelling option for organizations seeking front-line depth and potential ceiling in a longer-term development timeline.
For readers seeking more context on Piech’s standing and the broader draft landscape, the Akron Beacon Journal’s sports staff remains a resource for ongoing coverage of high school and college players entering the 2026 MLB Draft. The article’s original publication was prepared by the Beacon Journal and provides a snapshot of Piech’s profile, his recent performance, and the path that could lead to professional baseball.
This piece originally appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal as part of its coverage of the 2026 MLB Draft prospect Ryan Piech, highlighting why he could be a contender for selection and what his college and high school background contribute to his projected professional trajectory.