Mountaineer prospects to watch for in the 2026 MLB Draft

The 2026 MLB draft officially begins Saturday at 1 p.m.

After a successful season that saw WVU Baseball make its first trip to Omaha for the College World Series, several Mountaineers are striking candidates to be selected in this year’s draft. Read more: Mountaineer prospects to watch for in the 2026 MLB Draft

Plenty of batters and pitchers had a standout year, with several draft-eligible players earning postseason honors and awards.

A lot of these players were amongst the top of the ranks statistically for WVU this season, further boosting their draft resumes.

The Mountaineers will certainly miss these players should their names be called this weekend, but it’s a special moment to see the potential each of them holds for their future.

Top pitching candidates

Maxx Yehl

Perhaps the most intriguing Mountaineer candidate for this year’s draft is Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, Maxx Yehl.

Yehl is the third WVU player to achieve this award, with the previous two winners going on to be drafted in the same year they won it. Harrison Musgrave was selected in the 2013 MLB Draft, while Alek Manoah was a first-round selection in 2019.

The New York Native put up an impressive 2.13 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 112 strikeouts in the 2026 season. Overall, he was the starting pitcher for 18 games, pitching a total of 97 innings and touting a 9-3 record.

Yehl played with the Mountaineers for his entire collegiate career from 2023 to 2026. He had quite a comeback this season after not pitching the entire 2025 season due to injury.

Yehl was named an All-American by several outlets, including first-team selections from D1 Baseball, College Baseball Foundation and Perfect Game.

Ian Korn

Another strong pitching candidate is relief pitcher Ian Korn. His performance this season landed him on the All-Big 12 First Team.

Korn had the second-best ERA on the team (3.39) and WHIP (1.08). In 79.2 innings pitched, Korn struck out 70 batters.

In most appearances, Korn was a relief pitcher, but he did start three games for the Mountaineers. Overall, he had a 6-1 record and two saves.

Korn spent the majority of his collegiate career with Seton Hill, where he received DII National Pitcher of the Year honors. This past season was his loan season with WVU.

Dawson Montesa

To round out the pitchers, Dawson Montesa is another candidate for this year’s draft.

Montesa made 15 starts this season and appeared in 19 games. He had 92 strikeouts and a 6-5 winning record.

Montesa’s final ERA was 5.38, and his WHIP was 1.43.

This past season was Montesa’s junior year, so he could still potentially return to the Mountaineers next season. Prior to WVU, he spent two seasons at Adelphi.

Four out of five of WVU’s best hitters could go also

Gavin Kelly was a strong leader for the team this season, but he is projected to be a candidate for the 2027 MLB draft. However, the Mountaineers’ next four leaders in batting average this past season could all hear their name called this weekend.

Paul Schoenfeld

A WVU Baseball batter that could be a strong candidate to go Day 1 is outfielder Paul Schoenfeld.

Schoenfeld had a .327 ERA, 4 home runs and 52 RBI. His performance landed him on the All-Big 12 Second team.

Schoenfeld was also the Mountaineer’s co-leader in triples (4) and was third in doubles (19). He made starts in 64 contests.

Schoenfeld transferred to WVU this past season after spending time with Butler CC and Colorado Mesa. He has no remaining NCAA eligibility.

Armani Guzman

Utility player Armani Guzman is another strong Day 1 candidate amongst WVU’s batters.

Guzman had the third-best batting average on the team (.321) and recorded a total of 75 hits and 45 RBI. He led the Mountaineers in doubles with 22 and also started 64 games.

A strong piece during the postseason, Guzman was named to the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team and the Morgantown Regional All-Tournament team. Additionally, he was also an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.

Guzman has spent his entire collegiate career at WVU and still has remaining eligibility.

Sean Smith

Another candidate for this year’s draft is outfielder Sean Smith, who had the fourth-best batting average (.315) amongst WVU batters this past season.

Smith had the second-most RBI (55) of the Mountaineers and second-most homers (10).

Smith was also named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention for his performance this past season.

Before WVU, Smith spent time with Mississippi Gulf Coast CC and Georgia Southern. This was his final season of eligibility.

Matthew Graveline

Lastly, outfielder/catcher Matthew Graveline was another top performer for WVU this past season who could be drafted this weekend.

Graveline touted a .305 batting average, the team’s fifth best, with 73 hits, 39 RBI and 6 home runs.

Graveline made 62 starts in 64 appearances.

Before WVU, Graveline spent three seasons with Ohio State before transferring to play for the Mountaineers this past season.

Other draft-eligible players

WVU has several other upperclassmen who could be candidates in this year’s draft.

Carson Estridge could be a name to watch as he currently plays for the West Virginia Black Bears of the MLB Draft league.

Estridge also was an All-Big 12 Honorable mention after putting up a 3.09 ERA, 34 strikeouts and a 4-0 record as a relief pitcher.

Other WVU upperclassmen include Brodie Kresser, Reese Bassinger, Brock Wills, Ben McDougal, Ben Lumsden, and Tyrus Hall.

Draft details and history

Day 1 of the MLB draft will only cover the first four rounds. Rounds 5-20 will all take place on Day 2, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

Five Mountaineers were taken in the 2025 MLB Draft. Catcher Logan Suave was the highest selection at 200th overall by the Athletics.

Other drafted players in last year’s draft were Kyle West (Yankees), Robby Porco (Dodgers), Griffin Kirn (Athletics), and Skylar King (Red Sox).

In program history, WVU has had three players selected in the first round of the draft. Most recently, JJ Wetherholt was selected with the seventh overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024. He is the highest-selected player in program history.

Stay up to date with WV Sports Nation for more MLB Draft Coverage this weekend by downloading the WV Sports Nation app.

Author

John Boggess, Staff Writer

John Boggess is a sports writer for WV Sports Nation. John earned his B.A. in sports journalism from Marshall University and is working on an MSJ at WVU. John’s accomplishments include being named Best Metro Radio Sports Anchor in 2023 and Excellence in Public Service Through Radio Journalism in 2025 by the Virginia’s Associated Press Broadcasters Association. In addition to covering WVU sports, John enjoys telling the story of professional wrestling on his award winning podcast, Rope Break.

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