Draft Day Highlights
The 2026 MLB Draft saw West Virginia University’s left‑hander Dawson Montesa and right‑hander Maxx Yehl hear their names called among the early selections, bringing the Mountaineers’ recent surge in talent to the national spotlight.
Montesa, who finished the season with a 6‑5 record and a 5.38 ERA across 19 appearances, was chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals in the Competitive Balance‑B round with the 72nd overall pick. His postseason work included seven strikeouts over 7.1 innings against Wake Forest and six shutout innings against Troy, while he limited opponents to a .228 batting average and fanned 92 batters in 77 innings.
Yehl, a 12‑3 pitcher with a 2.74 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 154.1 innings, earned the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and All‑American honors in 2026. The Kansas City Royals drafted him in the third round, selecting the 91st overall pick, and he capped the season at 9‑3 with a 2.13 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 97 innings.
Their selections mark the highest drafted WVU players since shortstop JJ Wetherholt in 2024 and the most highly regarded pitchers since former Mountaineer Alek Manoah in 2019, reinforcing the program’s reputation as a breeding ground for major‑league talent.