Philadelphia to host MLB draft, Houston Cougars eye new selections
MLB Draft in Philadelphia
The 2026 Major League Baseball draft is scheduled to take place in Philadelphia this weekend, coinciding with All-Star Week. While the Philadelphia Phillies‘ draft room operations will largely remain consistent, the event’s location could introduce a different atmosphere. The draft stage will be set up at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City Philadelphia for Day 1 on Saturday, July 11. The Phillies’ team will convene at Citizens Bank Park for the initial day of selections.
Brian Barber, the Phillies’ assistant general manager and head of amateur scouting, noted that the draft experience might be unique due to the proximity of the main event to the team’s operations. He mentioned that hearing crowd cheers could be a new element during their selection process. On Day 2, Sunday, July 12, the draft will proceed remotely, as the All-Star Futures Game is held at the ballpark.
The 2026 draft class is characterized by a strong group of college position players at the top, alongside a notable collection of left-handed high school pitchers. The Phillies are set to make their first pick at number 36, a consequence of exceeding the second threshold of the luxury tax. Despite this, Barber views the class as deep.
The Phillies hold 21 picks in the 20-round draft. This includes a compensation pick, number 135, which they received after pitcher Ranger Suarez signed with the Red Sox. The first four rounds will occur on Saturday, during which the Phillies will make five selections. The remaining 16 rounds are scheduled for Sunday.
Draft Schedule and Phillies’ Selections
The first day of the 2026 MLB draft, Saturday, July 11, will feature rounds 1-4. The initial picks, 1-10, are slated for 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock. Picks 11-40 will follow from 2:30-4:30 p.m. ET, available on MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB TV, and MLB+. The final segment of Day 1, covering picks 41-135, will run from 4:30-7:45 p.m. ET, accessible via MLB.com, MLB TV, and MLB+.
Day 1 of the draft will overlap with the Phillies’ 6:10 p.m. game in Detroit. Some potential draftees are expected to be present at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The Phillies’ picks for Day 1 include numbers 36, 64, 100, 128, and 135.
Day 2 of the draft, Sunday, July 12, will encompass rounds 5-20. Coverage for this day begins at 11:30 a.m. ET on MLB.com. This remote portion of the draft will coincide with the Futures Game at 12 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park and the Phillies’ 1:40 p.m. game in Detroit. The Phillies have numerous picks on Day 2, including numbers 161, 190, 220, 250, 280, 310, 340, 370, 400, 430, 460, 490, 520, 550, 580, and 610.
Barber began overseeing the draft for the Phillies in 2020, with pitcher Mick Abel being his first selection. His initial three first-round picks, which also included Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford, have reached the major leagues. Abel was part of a trade that brought an All-Star closer, Jhoan Duran, to the Phillies. Painter has faced challenges since his Tommy John surgery in 2023 and was recently assigned to Triple-A, while Crawford has experienced varied results as a rookie. Subsequent first-round selections under Barber include Aidan Miller, an infield prospect who has missed the season due to a back injury; Dante Nori, an outfielder who performed well at the World Baseball Classic in March but has had a difficult season in Double-A and is currently on the injured list; and starting pitcher Gage Wood, who was selected for the Futures Game.
Houston Cougars’ Draft History
The University of Houston Baseball program has a notable history in the MLB Draft. Last year, two Cougars, Antoine Jean and Connor McGinnis, were selected. The program’s first-ever pick was Tom Paciorek in 1968. Houston Baseball has seen four players chosen in the First Round, with Seth Romero being the most recent, selected 25th overall by the Washington Nationals in the 2017 draft.
Historically, the Detroit Tigers and the Washington Nationals (formerly the Montreal Expos) have drafted the most Cougars, each selecting 10 players. The Toronto Blue Jays follow with nine picks, while the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, and San Francisco Giants have each drafted eight Cougars. Every current MLB franchise has selected at least one player from the Houston program.
The Cougars have had seven picks across five different rounds: 2, 4, 11, 12, and 19. In the current 20-round draft format, Houston has had at least one player selected in every round. The 2000 MLB Draft marked the program’s highest number of selections in a single draft, with 11 Cougars chosen, the only instance where 10 or more players were picked. Multiple Cougars have been selected in 40 drafts since 1968, and the program has had a player drafted in each of the last five drafts, as well as in 23 of the last 24 drafts. Overall, 166 players from Houston have been selected in the first-year player draft, including 27 within the top five rounds and 47 within the top 10 rounds.
Fans can support the Houston Baseball program through NIL opportunities and by purchasing 2027 Season Tickets. Updates on the team are available by following @UHCougarBB on X and Instagram, and by liking the Houston Cougar Baseball Facebook page.
Read Also
Source: uhcougars.com
