​Arkansas pitcher Gabe Gaeckle was selected by the Oakland Athletics with the No. 73 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday, July 11. He was the Razorbacks’ top draft pick this weekend. The slot value associated with pick No. 73 is projected at $1.16 million.
A California native, Gaeckle just completed his junior season at Arkansas. For the second consecutive year, he opened the season as the Opening Day starter before eventually shifting to the bullpen. Throughout his Arkansas tenure, he was more comfortable working out of the bullpen, a role that likely influenced his overall draft stock.
Gaeckle showed potential early on; as a freshman, he served as a dominant closer and posted a 2.32 ERA over 42⅔ innings, leading Arkansas with seven saves. In 2026, he went 6-3 with a 4.14 ERA while alternating between the weekend rotation and the bullpen. Over 71⅔ innings, he recorded 87 strikeouts and issued 35 walks. He made 12 starts and appeared in eight relief outings.
Physically, Gaeckle stands 6 feet tall and weighs about 190 pounds—an admittedly average frame for an MLB pitcher. Yet his right-handed stuff carries noticeable velocity, with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and can reach up to 98 mph when he’s not overthinking innings. This power repertoire is one reason why he found greater success as a reliever, where he could maximize his heat and attack hitters in shorter bursts.
While his fastball is the primary driver of his upside, Gaeckle databases a sharp, late-breaking slider as his second-best offering. He also works with a changeup and a curveball, though his consistency with the third pitch has been spotty at times. Arkansas coaches had hoped that a more effective changeup would help him neutralize left-handed batters and translate more effectively against lefties. If he’s going to transition to a starter at the next level, he’ll need to improve his command of the fastball and elevate the whiff rate on his off-speed pitches.
Gaeckle’s draft position and projection reflect a player with notable late-inning credibility and a fastball-first approach that could carry him through higher levels of the minors and potentially into a future role as a major-league contributor. As he begins his professional journey, evaluators will be watching closely how his command, secondary pitches, and durability play out against increasingly advanced competition.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball, and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @jacksonfuller16. This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record and is optimized for SEO around Gabe Gaeckle’s MLB Draft impact and potential with the Athletics.