During the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft, two players from WVU Baseball’s roster this past season were selected. Read more: MLB Draft Day 1: Two WVU Baseball pitchers drafted within first 100 picks.
With the 72nd overall pick, the St. Louis Cardinals selected pitcher Dawson Montesa, while the Kansas City Royals selected pitcher Maxx Yehl with the 91st overall pick.
WVU has a lot of intriguing prospects in this year’s draft, with plenty more expected to go on day two, but Montesa and Yehl were among the highest-rated prospects.
Dawson Montesa
Headed into draft day, Montesa was ranked as the 161st prospect on the board.
Montesa is a 20-year-old right-handed pitcher who served as part of WVU’s starting rotation this past season with some additional relief appearances.
The Cardinals’ selection of Montesa made him the highest selected WVU prospect since the Cardinals selected JJ Wetherholt in the 2024 MLB draft with the 7th overall pick.
Related: Former WVU Baseball standout JJ Wetherholt signs $112.5 million extension
Additionally, no Mountaineers had been selected in the second round since the 2018 MLB draft. That year, the Los Angeles Dodgers selected pitcher Michael Grove with the 68th overall pick. Grove remains active in the MLB today with the American League leader, the Tampa Bay Rays.
Montesa struggled in Big 12 play this season, leading to him being removed from the starting rotation at one point. He finished the season with a 5.38 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 92 strikeouts.
The intriguing factor in Montesa is his velocity. He averaged the mid-90s on his fastball and could even touch 98 mph at times. Additionally, his curveball was frequently in the upper 70s, slider in mid-80s and upper 80s in changeup.
The St. Louis Cardinals will now have three former WVU players in its organization with the addition of Montesa. Aside from Wetherholt, Victor Scott II is also a WVU alumnus.
Montesa is from Glendale, New York. He spent one season with WVU and previously played for Adelphi.
Maxx Yehl
Yehl was a clear fit for this year’s MLB draft, winning the 2026 Big-12 Pitcher of the Year award. Every time a WVU pitcher has won this award, they have gone on to be drafted in the same year.
Ahead of the draft, MLB had Yehl listed as the 217th prospect. He is a 22-year-old left-handed pitcher.
The Royals’ selection of Yehl marked the first time in program history a Mountaineer was selected in the third round of an MLB Draft.
Yehl touted a team leading 2.13 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 112 strikeouts this past season. His win-loss record was 9-3, and he started all 18 of his appearances.
On the fastball, Yehl can also reach a high velocity on his fastball in the upper 90s, but towards the end of the season, it dropped a little bit. His slider is above average, throwing as high as 87 mph at times.
Yehl’s impressive season came after he spent the entire 2025 season away from the game as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
The Royals are another team familiar to former WVU Baseball players, as they currently have pitchers Ryan Bergert and John Means in their organization.
Yehl is a native of Portville, New York, and spent his entire collegiate career at WVU.
Day two preview
The 2026 MLB Draft continues for its final day tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. for rounds 5-20.
Several intriguing prospects, including Paul Schoenfeld, Armani Guzman, Sean Smith, Matthew Graveline, Ian Korn and Carson Estridge, remain on the board.
Related: Mountaineer prospects to watch for in the 2026 MLB Draft
In the 2025 MLB Draft, five total WVU prospects were selected. 2018 saw the most Mountaineers selected, with eight.
Time will tell if this is the year WVU breaks the record for nine players selected, with there certainly being a good handful of players with strong future potential.
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