Who Athletics took with remaining four picks on Day 1 of 2026 MLB Draft

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Who Athletics took with remaining four picks on Day 1 of 2026 MLB Draft

Angelina Martin · NBC Sports BayArea

Sat, Jul 11, 2026 ·

8 min read

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Who Athletics took with remaining four picks on Day 1 of 2026 MLB Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Athletics looked to continue their stretch of recent successful picks with Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday, and they got started by selecting Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress at No. 8 overall in the first round.

General manager David Forst and Co. had four more picks to work with on the draft's first day, and here's how the Athletics used them:

47. Mason Edwards, LHP, USC

The A's added another college prospect who could reach the big leagues sooner rather than later in Edwards. MLB.com originally had Edwards ranked No. 36 after he posted a 2.07 ERA in 17 starts, with 169 strikeouts across 95 2/3 innings In his final year at USC.

Here's how MLB Pipeline evaluated the A's newest pitching prospect:

" Scouting grades:Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Edwards is a Los Angeles area native who attended Palisades High School, earning back-to-back league pitcher of the year honors as well as consecutive first-team all-city nods in 2022 and 2023. After heading just a stone's throw away to Southern Cal for college, the left-hander served as a swingman type for the Trojans, amassing just over 70 innings combined. A strong fall showing has been followed up by a solid spring leading the weekend rotation, which has kept the scouting industry's interest piqued.

In many ways, Edwards fits the prototype of a college lefty with a feel for pitching. He has a solid three-pitch mix and knows how to use it effectively. While his fastball typically sits in the 91-93 mph range, he can touch 95. There is some carry and "darkness" to his heater, leading to a 30-percent miss rate on the pitch in 2025, according to Synergy, a miss rate he maintained this spring. He'll throw his slurvy breaking ball around 80 mph, and the curve flashes as a plus pitch with excellent spin. He has good feel for an above-average changeup with good fade that also can miss bats.

Teams will like that Edwards will just be turning 21 immediately after the Draft. The fact that his strike-throwing has improved since he got to campus won't hurt, either, as he showed excellent command during his work this fall. He has all the ingredients needed to be a solid starting pitcher and his ability to maintain his stuff this spring has floated him up into top-two-round consideration."

73. Gabe Gaeckle, RHP, Arkansas

Another pick, another talented pitcher for the A's. Gaeckle was the A's Competitive Balance B pick, bringing one of the best fastballs in college to the organization despite some control issues.

Here's what MLB Pipeline had to say about the 21-year-old:

Though he was a 6-foot right-hander who had Tommy John surgery when he was 15, Gaeckle had the live arm to go in the first five rounds of the 2023 Draft. He fell to the Reds in the 20th round because of his commitment to Arkansas, where he starred as a freshman reliever but posted a 6.69 ERA in nine starts last spring before heading back to the bullpen. A potential first-rounder for 2026, he now fits more in the third round after another unsuccessful stint in the rotation.

As a shorter righty with electric stuff, Gaeckle at his best reminds some scouts of former Razorbacks teammate Gage Wood, who went 26th overall to the Phillies last July, and others of Spencer Strider . When he's on, he owns one of the most unhittable fastballs in the college ranks, sitting at 94-96 mph and touching 98 with a low release height and quality carry. He also can overpower hitters with a tight mid-80s slider and miss bats at times with both a low-80s curveball and upper-80s changeup.

A veteran of two summers with the U.S. collegiate national team, Gaeckle maintained his velocity as a starter but battles with command and a lack of deception led him to get hit harder than expected. Those weren't issues in the second half of his sophomore season when he worked extended outings from the bullpen, including dominating eventual national champion Louisiana State with 14 strikeouts in nine innings over two matchups at the College World Series, but he hasn't been nearly as good out of the bullpen this spring. He has struggled to locate his fastball and his in-zone whiff rates on all of his pitches have regressed, making it difficult to continue to project him fitting in the front half of a rotation."

83. Jacob Dudan, RHP, North Carolina State

Dudan is another possible steal for the A's, as he originally was ranked No. 78 entering the draft. The A's have struggled with both their rotation and bullpen during the 2026 MLB season, so it's no surprise they again sought a pitcher with the 83rd pick. After recent Tommy John surgery, however, he won't be pitching in the big leagues for a while.

Here's MLB Pipeline's thoughts on Dudan:

" Scouting grades:Fastball: 60 | Slider: 65 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

A high-leverage reliever at North Carolina State and with Team USA during his first two years in college, Dudan moved to the rotation this spring. The good news is that his fastball/slider combination remained dynamic in longer outings and he dramatically improved his control, making him a possible first-rounder. The bad news is that he blew out his elbow after throwing 116 pitches against Notre Dame on April 4 — he hit 98 mph in the eighth inning — and required Tommy John surgery.

Dudan averaged 96 mph and touched 99 with his fastball as a junior, showing carry at times and sink at others, though his heater stands out more for its ability to generate groundouts than empty swings. His tight upper-80s slider is a legitimate wipeout pitch, producing a 41 percent chase rate and 48 percent swing-and-miss rate this spring. He also showed some feel for an upper-80s changeup with sink and fade, though he barely used it.

A quality athlete, Dudan cut his walk rate from 15 percent in his first two seasons to 6 percent in 2026. While his aptitude for a changeup and improved control enhance his chances of succeeding as a starter, scouts believe his delivery with a long arm action and low slot makes him more likely to wind up as a reliever. He'll likely go in the second round even though he won't return to the mound until late 2027."

111. Roman Martin, SS, UCLA

After forgoing the draft and choosing to attend UCLA when he was a top prep prospect, Martin now has found his way to the big leagues after playing college ball alongside No. 1 pick Roch Cholowsky. While A's have top prospect Leo De Vries working his way through the minors at shortstop, you never can have too much infield talent — and Martin is well-versed in playing the hot corner as well.

Here's how MLB Pipeline views Martin:

Martin was a Top 100 prospect as a California prep infielder as the 2023 Draft approached and would have been the second-highest-ranked player to go undrafted had he not officially removed his name from consideration to head to UCLA. For three years, he's played alongside the highest-ranked undrafted high schooler from '23, Roch Cholowsky, and has really come into his own as a sophomore with a .952 OPS and earning Los Angeles Regional Most Outstanding Player honors as the Bruins made it to Omaha. He's stepped up his game another notch as a junior on the best team in college baseball with plenty of eyes on him to boost his Draft stock.

A 6-foot-2, 208-pound right-handed hitter, Martin has long shown the ability to have professional at-bats. He sees a lot of pitches and draws a lot of walks, with an approach that should help him get to his solid raw power, even if he doesn't do so consistently at this level. He will have to learn to be more aggressive at the dish and swing more, with some scouts not convinced about his raw hit tool because he's not super-athletic in the box and has a tendency to get under the ball too frequently.

Martin has played third in deference to Cholowsky at UCLA, but some feel he has the chops to play shortstop at the next level. He has an arm that is at least plus to go along with good hands and instincts, though a lack of speed could keep him from being a regular at the premium position. He's an excellent defender at the hot corner and could see time at three infield positions as a pro."

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