​After posting a top-five season that featured another national seed and a super regional played on its home turf, Auburn baseball entered a relatively quiet offseason, largely because it brings back a large core for next spring. But this weekend could be the program’s biggest yet of the summer, as the 2026 MLB Draft begins on Saturday, July 11 (Noon CT, NBC) in Philadelphia.
Having lost so little and added so much, Auburn stands to have some of the most important pieces of its upcoming roster decided over the two-day, 20-round event, with multiple highly regarded commits and current everyday players viewed as notable draft prospects. Will they advance to the next level, or join Auburn in 2027?
As Butch Thompson’s pre-draft preparations have suggested, the draft’s outcome could carry significant implications for Auburn baseball. Stay tuned to the Montgomery Advertiser for the latest news and updates on the Tigers as the draft unfolds. This section will be updated throughout the weekend.
Heading into today’s draft, Auburn did not have a player or commitment projected in most major mock drafts, which typically cover the first portion of the draft’s 20 rounds. Here’s a snapshot of the final rankings from those outlets and where Auburn is listed:
– ESPN (Top 250): RHP Coleman Borthwick (No. 31); 2B Chris Rembert (No. 67); SS Jace Mataczynski (No. 77); 3B Eric Guevara (No. 144); RHP AJ Rice (No. 214); RHP Alex Petrovic (No. 230)
– MLB (Top 250): RHP Coleman Borthwick (No. 43); 2B Chris Rembert (No. 47); RHP AJ Rice (No. 125); SS Jace Mataczynski (No. 131); 3B Eric Guevara (No. 209); SS Brandon McCraine (No. 222)
– Perfect Game (Top 500): RHP Coleman Borthwick (No. 36); 2B Chris Rembert (No. 44); 3B Eric Guevara (No. 128); RHP AJ Rice (No. 157); SS Jace Mataczynski (No. 182); RHP Ty Tillery (No. 218); C John Stowers (No. 282); RHP Alex Petrovic (No. 349); SS Levi Nikoli (No. 352); SS/OF Brandon McCraine (No. 417); LHP Griffin Graves (No. 426); RHP Christian Chatterton (No. 446); RHP Drew Whalen (No. 476); SS/OF Deacon Nelson (No. 481)
Notes: Asterisks denote high school players. Positions reflect the big board designations of the respective outlets.
Tv and streaming details: NBC will air picks 1-10 along with pre-draft coverage, with Peacock streaming those early selections. MLB Network will carry picks 11-40 nationally. The remaining rounds (including rounds 5-20 on Saturday) will be available via streaming.
Draft schedule: Noon-6:45 p.m. CT on Day 1; 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. CT on Day 2. Dates are Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12.
Location: Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia. This year’s event coincides with All-Star Weekend in Philadelphia and shifts to a two-day format, beginning with the first four rounds on Saturday for broader accessibility and coverage.