Virginia Prospects Head to Phoenix for 2026 MLB Draft Combine
Four Virginia baseball standouts have earned invitations to the 2026 MLB Draft Combine, the league’s premier scouting showcase that will take place in Phoenix from Tuesday through Friday.
The event, staged at Chase Field — home of the Arizona Diamondbacks — will bring together 195 college players and 140 high‑school prospects for a series of workouts, interviews and medical examinations, all of which will be televised exclusively on MLB Network.
A committee of scouting executives from MLB, USA Baseball and each of the 30 major‑league clubs selected the participants, aiming to centralize the draft process that was launched in 2021.
Among those invited are Cavaliers prospects AJ Gracia, Eric Becker, Kyle Johnson and Joe Tiroly, each of whom has navigated injury setbacks this season but remains on the radar of professional clubs.
Becker’s hand injury forced him to miss several games, while Gracia and Johnson also dealt with lingering issues; Tiroly, however, stayed on the field for the entire campaign.
The combine’s format gives participants a chance to boost their draft stock, as last year 83 percent of attendees were selected in the 2025 draft, though many high‑school players who opted for college commitments missed the 2025 draft despite being eligible.
This year’s combine will feature analysis from a lineup of baseball personalities including Greg Armsinger, Mike Lowell, Dan O’Dowd, Jared Carrabis, Harold Reynolds, Dan Plesac, Xavier Scruggs and Jim Callis, who will provide commentary throughout the broadcast.
Beyond the workouts, the medical examinations are noteworthy because players who undergo a combine physical are guaranteed at least 75 percent of the slot value assigned to their eventual draft pick.
The 2026 MLB Draft itself is scheduled for July 11‑12 in Philadelphia, where several of the Cavaliers’ prospects are projected to hear their names called.