The 2026 Major League Baseball Draft will descend upon Philadelphia on July 11‑12, turning the city into a hub of talent evaluation and future contract negotiations.
What makes this edition especially resonant for Oklahoma fans is the presence of several Sooners‑affiliated prospects, chief among them shortstop Jaxon Willits, who just helped the University of Oklahoma capture the 2026 NCAA Men’s College World Series.
A Oklahoma Connection Takes Center Stage
Willits enters the draft as the most highly projected OU player ever to be selected, with scouts penciling him in as a potential first‑round pick. His collegiate performance follows a lineage of Oklahoma talent that has already made noise in recent drafts.
The ripple effect of that success is evident in the previous draft, where the Willits family name appeared twice in the top ten — Eli Willits and Ethan Holliday — while another OU product, Kyson Witherspoon, was snapped up 15th overall by the Boston Red Sox.
Broadcast arrangements add another layer of excitement. NBC and its streaming arm Peacock will split the first ten selections across Saturday’s coverage, after which MLB Network will take over the remainder of the event.
Fans can follow the entire draft live through a combination of NBC, MLB Network, MLB.com, and the streaming service Fubo, ensuring that every pick reaches a wide audience across traditional and digital platforms.
Beyond the on‑field storylines, the draft’s location in Philadelphia offers a historic backdrop, blending the city’s rich sports heritage with the fresh optimism of a new generation of players ready to make their mark.