​UNC baseball pitcher Ryan Lynch was selected by the San Diego Padres with the 97th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday, July 11. He became the fourth Tar Heel chosen on opening day, following fellow UNC talent Jason DeCaro, who went to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and shortstop Jake Schaffner and outfielder Owen Hull, both drafted by the Boston Red Sox. As a draft-eligible sophomore, Lynch served as the No. 2 starter for UNC in his second season, and his projected slot value for the 97th pick is $808,100.
Lynch’s selection adds another accomplished arm to the Padres’ pipeline as they look to strengthen their pitching depth. A closer look at Lynch’s UNC resume reveals a pitcher who has steadily grown into a reliable contributor for the Tar Heels. In the 2026 campaign, Lynch logged the most innings on the UNC staff with 98 1/3 frames across 18 starts, while posting a 5-4 record and a 4.21 ERA with 89 strikeouts. He was a crucial component of North Carolina’s NCA A Tournament run, opening the tournament with seven scoreless innings in a two-hit shutout. However, his final outing of the season came up short due to an oblique injury in the College World Series finals.
Lynch’s performance as a freshman hinted at his potential. He posted a 2.93 ERA with 73 strikeouts across his first year, establishing himself as a dependable option out of the bullpen before moving into a starting role as a sophomore and ultimately becoming a mainstay of the rotation in the postseason. His profile combines plus velocity that can touch the high 90s with a solid complementary array of off-speed pitches. This blend suggests he could offer both starting and late-inning capability at the professional level, making him a potential long reliever who can bridge to a starting role when needed.
In terms of role projection, Lynch’s track record suggests the Padres may utilize him in a hybrid capacity at the outset of his pro career. With experience both as a starter and as a reliever, he could serve as a long man out of the bullpen while occasionally stepping into a starting spot on short notice. His velocity and array give him the tools to adapt to different roles as he advances through the minor leagues and, potentially, into a regular rotation slot in the future.
Rodd Baxley of The Fayetteville Observer has followed North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for USA TODAY Network and provides ACC coverage on platforms such as X/Twitter and Bluesky under the handle @RoddBaxley. For readers with UNC questions, Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@usatodayco.com. This report on Ryan Lynch’s draft selection and UNC performance originally appeared in The Fayetteville Observer, with SEO-focused enhancements to highlight Lynch’s impact and potential for the Padres.