​Several North Carolina baseball players are poised to depart from their Tar Heel days this weekend as they advance to the next stage of their careers in the MLB draft. Five members of UNC’s 2026 roster are anticipated to hear their names called: Owen Hull, Jake Schaffner, Ryan Lynch, Jason DeCaro, and Gavin Gallaher. All five have appeared in ESPN’s final MLB Draft rankings and MLB’s Top 250 Draft Prospects list, underscoring the level of talent heading into the weekend. In addition, incoming freshman outfielder Harrison Ailshie of East Rowan High School in Salisbury, North Carolina, earned a spot in ESPN’s final rankings as well, highlighting the depth of the Tar Heels’ recruiting class.
As the draft unfolds, players selected over the weekend have until 5 p.m. Eastern Time on July 27 to sign with their chosen teams. In the first 10 rounds, each pick is assigned a slot value, though teams are permitted to exceed or fall short of those figures depending on negotiations and market conditions.
Here are the UNC players who are expected to be selected and their respective draft projections:
– Owen Hull (Junior) — ESPN ranking: No. 62; MLB ranking: No. 67; Slot value: $1,382,600.
– Jake Schaffner (Junior) — ESPN ranking: No. 51; MLB ranking: No. 75; Slot value: $1,451,700.
– Ryan Lynch (Sophomore) — ESPN ranking: No. 111; MLB ranking: No. 98; Slot value: $747,700.
– Jason DeCaro (Junior) — ESPN ranking: No. 97; MLB ranking: No. 133; Slot value: $677,500.
– Gavin Gallaher (Junior) — ESPN ranking: No. 132; MLB ranking: No. 200; Slot value: $413,900.
– Harrison Ailshie (Incoming Freshman) — ESPN ranking: No. 197; Slot value: $319,600.
Beyond these five, several other Tar Heels, including Macon Winslow and Erik Paulsen, are also potential selections in the draft, reflecting the continuing strength of UNC’s baseball program and its ability to produce capable professional prospects.
The 2026 MLB draft is set to begin on Saturday with a two-part broadcast: rounds 1 through 10 will be shown on NBC and Peacock, followed by rounds 11 through 40 on MLB Network from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Day 1 will continue online with rounds 41 through 135 streaming on MLB.com. The draft resumes on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time, with rounds 5 through 20 airing on MLB.com through approximately 7:30 p.m. ET.
Looking back at recent history, four Tar Heels were selected in the 2025 MLB draft: Luke Stevenson (No. 35), Kane Kepley (No. 56), Aidan Haugh (No. 177), and Jake Knapp (No. 241). Haugh and Knapp had already exhausted their college eligibility, while Stevenson and Kepley signed with their teams and turned professional. Haugh, in particular, was drafted for a second consecutive year after returning to UNC following a 2024 selection by the Minnesota Twins, highlighting UNC’s ongoing pipeline to the professional ranks.
For fans seeking ongoing updates and analysis, following Tar Heels Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and liking the Tar Heels Wire Facebook page will provide timely coverage of UNC baseball, including news, notes, and opinions surrounding the 2026 MLB draft and the players involved. This report on UNC baseball’s draft prospects originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire as part of ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels athletics.