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Over the next week, MLB’s current superstars and stars of tomorrow will take center stage when the 2026 MLB draft kicks off All-Star festivities in Philadelphia.
Unlike the NBA, NFL and NBA drafts, prospects attending the event and shaking hands with the commissioner is not the norm in MLB. So as the top prospects from this year’s draft class wait to hear their names called — wherever they’ll be — we asked current MLB stars to give us their own draft-day stories.
From first-round picks to a player taken in a round that no longer exists, here is what 12 current major leaguers recall about the day they were selected by a major league team.
‘We went out on a boat’
Nick Kurtz, Athletics (2024 draft: first round, No. 4 pick)
“The day before, we went out on a boat, trying to be really relaxed because we knew the next day was going to be stressful. Had some people over, hanging out until the draft happened. Afterwards, we had a party.
“I figured it would be somewhere in the top 10, but I wasn’t too worried where I was going to go. I knew before the draft that the A’s could be the first team to take me. It was an awesome experience. Not quite as memorable as your debut but pretty cool.”
‘I’m sure we broke some rules getting some people together’
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs (2020 draft: first round, No. 19 pick; selected by Mets)
“I didn’t have a good summer going into my senior year of high school. I was falling out of the first round based on projections and stuff. I didn’t really know, but when MLB sent a camera crew and stuff, I had a feeling I’d be OK. I mean, it would have either way.
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“It was weird. It was COVID. I’m sure we broke some rules getting some people together. That was the coolest part for me. Having my high school coach and friends and family there.
“I was surprised by the Mets. I talked to like 27 or 28 teams. I didn’t talk to, but I know I didn’t talk to the Mets. I thought I would have ended up a Brewer based on predraft stuff.’
“I was thinking, if it doesn’t happen soon, I’ll go to Vanderbilt.
“We played pickup basketball afterwards. That was it. It was definitely weird, but I would not have wanted to do my draft party any other way.”
‘I celebrated by eating tacos’
Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals (2020 draft: first round, No. 21 pick)
“I was on my couch. Couldn’t have anyone over because it was 2020. Just me, my brother, my sister and my parents. We had my favorite dinner, tacos. My dad made those.
“It was pretty sick. My agent called, I saw myself on TV and it was pretty unreal. I had my agent on speaker phone, so they found out at the same time I did. Lots of calls from family and friends but definitely a weird year because it was 2020. I wanted to celebrate with others but couldn’t.
“I celebrated by eating tacos. We were locked down.”
‘We were a little bit on delay, and I got a text message’
Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers (2018 draft: first round, No. 21 pick)
“We were livestreaming it, so we were a little bit on delay, and I got a text message from [Reds OF] Will Banfield, who was ahead of me [on the broadcast], so he congratulated me. Then my agents called. I was in my folks’ bedroom. And I ran out, yelling, ‘Hey, I’m going here, I’m going here.’
“We didn’t have any contact with Milwaukee during that day, so I was kind of shocked because I didn’t realize that I was going to them. They drafted me without talking to me or anything.”
‘You go up, talk to the commissioner, shake his hands, get your hat’
Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox (2021 draft: first round, No. 22 pick)
“I actually was at the draft. I had a good idea I was going to get picked that first day. Was with my family. Did all the festivities of draft day. Talking to teams and media. Got picked by the White Sox, went up on stage and did all that stuff.
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“I’m happy that I did. You want to be around family back home but being there made it feel real. You go up, talk to the commissioner, shake his hands, get your hat. It’s all those little things. Being on TV. It’s like that movie type of thing. I think people should do that. I knew I wanted to get into pro ball.
“I didn’t surprise my family because my dad was over my fricking shoulder looking at my phone the whole time! He kind of figured it out.”
‘I let it build. The family found out on TV’
Parker Messick, Cleveland Guardians (2022 draft: second round, No. 54 pick)
“I got to be at home with all my friends and family. Waited it out. Shared stories and stuff like that. When your name gets called, you have all the people you care about there. It’s something you never forget.
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“My agent called, so I knew it was going to happen. The team called later. Cleveland showed a lot of interest predraft.
“My family knew it was coming, but I didn’t tell them what pick. There were a few picks before they unveiled me, so it built some drama. I let it build. The family found out on TV.
“We just all hung out at my grandparents’ house. We cooked food and hung out.”
‘I was told not to pick up the phone from any other teams’
Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers (2022 draft: second round, No. 63 pick)
“Was at the house and got the phone call from my agent that it was a possibility that it might happen with the Brewers. I was told not to pick up the phone from any other teams and wait for this number. It’s always a nerve-wracking experience to sit there and wait.
“It was a handful of picks before, so you get a heads-up to tell the family to watch the TV. There wasn’t much time, but there was a possibility between two teams. So when the first team didn’t pick me, it was ‘OK, you’re going next.’
“There’s a lot of work to be done past that. Your debut and your draft day are both big emotional days for your family.”
‘Your name flashes on the screen, a quick 10-second highlight, and the next pick comes’
Mason Miller, Athletics (2021 draft: third round, No. 97 pick)
“I was at home with my family. Had an idea of what was going to happen, and like many guys, it didn’t happen. … Had some offers beneath slot. We turned them down, then there was some concern because you never know. Interestingly enough, the Padres were one of those teams.
“I was in a unique situation, too, being a fifth-year guy. Can’t exactly dig a line in the sand with the slot value. At the end of the day, what’s my leverage? I can’t go back to college.
“By the third round, it’s pretty quick, your name flashes on the screen, a quick 10-second highlight, and the next pick comes. We celebrated and hung out the rest of the day.
“I’ll remember it. It’s etched like my debut.”
‘It was a horrible day’
Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays (2017 draft: fourth round, No. 132 pick; selected by Guardians)
“I was at my grandma’s house with my parents and my sisters. I was freaking out the whole day. It was a horrible day because I had no idea if I was going to get drafted. I didn’t hear anything. I finally got a call from my agent, asking if I would take underslot money so Cleveland would take me. I mentioned I don’t care. I just wanted to get it done. So I knew they were going to take me. I walked back in with everyone and didn’t tell them. So then we saw it on TV all together. It was a cool moment. It was great to share it with them.
“We went to one of the bars around and hung out. And we celebrated.”
‘I was playing Xbox with my friends’
Cam Schlittler, New York Yankees (2022 draft: seventh round, No. 220 pick)
“I was just at my house [in Walpole, Massachusetts] with my family. I wasn’t really watching the draft. I just kind of didn’t really want to throw it on. I think I was playing Xbox with my friends.
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“I think [we were playing] Fall Guys. Fall Guys, some stupid game. It was fun. I found out in the fifth round that I was going in the seventh, but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to jinx it or whatever because everyone gets told all this stuff.
“Even though I trust my agent and the connection he had with the Yankees, I just didn’t want to say anything or look like a fool. So I kind of knew two rounds before, and it kind of got to the seventh round and I’m just sitting there looking, and obviously, I got drafted and my parents are watching it so I had to go downstairs, and they’re crying and whatever and I’m just like, ‘Oh, thanks.’ It was a cool experience, but I didn’t really do much for it. It was better for me to kind of not really watch it and just not like pay attention to it.
“We went to my buddy’s, his dad owns a nice restaurant, a couple of restaurants in [Massachusetts], and we have a really good relationship with them. So we just went there. My family and some of my friends showed up, and we ate and had a couple of drinks. It was good to just be around everyone. But it was good to get that all over with and then head out to Tampa, and that was a whole different experience.”
‘We were hugging, crying tears of joy. The librarian was like, ‘What’s going on?’
Ben Rice, New York Yankees (2021 draft: 12th round, No. 363 pick)
“I was with my dad at the Cotuit Library on the Cape because we just did our early work at the field. It was Day 3 of the draft, and we needed to go somewhere where we could just watch the picks on our computer. So we went to the library, which was near the Cotuit Kettleers baseball field. Just in town, went there, found like a study area with the librarian there. She was just watching us stressfully look at a screen.
“It was my dad’s laptop, and I think I was watching it on my phone.
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“We needed WiFi, and we knew the picks went really fast on Day 3. Thankfully, I didn’t last too long because I went in the 12th round. So [that day] started with Round 11 and then 12 and then just saw my name pop up on the screen. They called me right after I saw [my] name pop up.
“I mean, we were hugging, crying tears of joy. The librarian was like, ‘What’s going on?’ We tried to explain to her. She was like, ‘OK.’
‘I saw it on Twitter’
Ben Brown, Chicago Cubs (2017 draft: 33rd round, No. 983 pick; selected by Phillies)
“I can’t tell you what day of the week it was. I knew I wasn’t going in one of the first two days. I figured the 18th to 25th round was realistic. I just remember getting past Round 20 and sending texts to scouts. I was concerned about my signability, having no idea my signability was definitely not an issue that late. Signability is an issue where there’s millions of dollars at stake.
“I was panicking at Round 30. I sold out to being drafted. I was hell-bent on it. That’s a dangerous thing to do. I put all my cards into my basket.
“No one called me. I saw it on Twitter by refreshing the draft tracker.
“I signed for $60,000. I was told I got a good deal. I showed up to Florida, and every dude out of high school signed for half a million. I was a little surprised.”
ESPN MLB reporter Jorge Castillo contributed to this story
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