Draft Night Highlights
The 2026 MLB Draft brought a double celebration for Baylor University as two of its standout players heard their names called on the national stage. Right‑hander Lucas Davenport was taken by the Boston Red Sox in the fifth round, while first‑baseman Tyce Armstrong followed in the 19th round after being selected by the New York Yankees.
Davenport arrived at the draft after a season that saw him post a 6.25 earned run average and fan 69 batters across the mound. The right‑hander earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors and was recognized on the All‑Big 12 Honorable Mention team, underscoring his impact in the conference.
Armstrong, meanwhile, shattered the school’s single‑season home run record with 24 round‑trippers in 2026. His power surge earned him Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and a spot on the All‑Big 12 First Team, and his dramatic performance — highlighted by three grand slams in a single game — led to an ESPY Award nomination for Best Single‑Game Performance.
A Legacy of Draft Success
Both players are the latest products of a program that has consistently produced talent for Major League Baseball. Under head coach Mitch Thompson, Baylor has seen at least one player selected in the first six rounds of the draft in seven of the last eight seasons, a testament to the sustained excellence of the Bears’ baseball development pipeline.
The selections also add to the historic fabric of the university. Davenport becomes the seventh Bear ever drafted by the Red Sox, while Armstrong joins the ninth player from Baylor to be chosen by the Yankees, further cementing the school’s reputation as a fertile ground for professional talent.