{"id":788130,"date":"2026-07-08T11:43:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T11:43:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/788130\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T11:43:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T11:43:15","slug":"mlb-draft-2026-beyond-the-top-100-names-to-know-including-beau-peterson-peyton-bonds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/788130\/","title":{"rendered":"MLB Draft 2026 beyond the top 100: Names to know, including Beau Peterson, Peyton Bonds"},"content":{"rendered":"

There will be more than 600 players selected in the 2026 MLB Draft. I have ranked the top 100 prospects<\/a>, but there are many more players who could make an impact at the next level whose names will also be called during the draft. Below are scouting notes on players who aren\u2019t on the top-100 list but could be drafted.<\/p>\n

(Note: Prospects listed in alphabetical order; this isn\u2019t a ranking. Scouting grades are on a traditional 20-80 scale. EV = exit velocity.)<\/p>\n

Keith Law’s Big Board for the 2026 MLB Draft<\/p>\n

Keith Law<\/p>\n

Peyton Bonds, OF, Rutgers<\/p>\n

DOB: 7\/19\/2005 | Height: 6-5 | Weight: 225 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Bonds missed nearly half the spring for Rutgers after getting hurt diving for a ball, but he did return at the very end of the regular season and was able to go to the MLB Draft Combine. He shows huge top-end exit velocities, but it hasn\u2019t translated into in-game power, with 11 total homers in 93 games for Rutgers over the last two years.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s had better luck hitting for average, with high contact rates, even though he swings at everything, with a 40 percent chase rate on the spring that put him in the bottom 1 percent of all Division I hitters, and a 32 percent chase rate on stuff well out of the zone. He\u2019s a 55 runner who plays plus defense in center, so there\u2019s a hypothetical ceiling here of 25-30 homers and +5 runs or more saved on defense in center field, just an unlikely one. He turns 21 about a week after the draft. Oh, and Barry is his uncle.<\/p>\n

Tre Broussard, OF, Houston<\/p>\n

DOB: 9\/21\/2005 | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 190 | Bats\/Throws: L\/L<\/p>\n

Broussard can fly, and if this were 1985 he\u2019d be a first-rounder. He has a flat, slappy swing, rarely missing but hitting for minimal power, hitting .344\/.433\/.472 this spring with 25 steals in 29 attempts. He\u2019s a center fielder and could be a bottom-of-the-order hitter who provides value with his legs and glove. He also is young for the class, turning 21 in September, having spent one year at San Jacinto College before transferring to Houston.<\/p>\n

Lorenzo Carrier, OF, Pittsburgh<\/p>\n

DOB: 5\/20\/2003 | Height: 6-5 | Weight: 215 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Carrier pulled his name out of the draft coming out of high school, forgoing what would likely have been a $700,000 bonus or more to go to Miami. He barely played for the Hurricanes for two years and was mediocre enough in his third year there that he went undrafted. He transferred to Pitt, played about half-time and went undrafted again. This year was a different story, as he was out of his mind at the plate, hitting .387\/.534\/.784 as a 23-year-old.<\/p>\n

He hit the ball as hard as anyone in Division I this year, with a 90th percentile EV near 113 mph, which is going to get someone\u2019s attention, even with a too-high whiff rate of 30 percent (still down from 39 percent a year ago). He swings very hard, and mostly swings at strikes, and can play either outfield corner.<\/p>\n

Evan Dempsey, RHP, Florida Gulf Coast<\/p>\n

DOB: 7\/19\/2005 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 205 | Bats\/Throws: L\/R<\/p>\n

Dempsey was a two-way player for FGCU, hitting .335\/.413\/.538 as a right fielder and posting a 3.15 ERA in 15 starts while striking out 34.1 percent of batters he faced. He\u2019s a prospect on the mound, where he\u2019s 92-93 from a low three-quarters slot with a short slider and a little curveball that both generated whiff rates over 40 percent this year.<\/p>\n

He might see his stuff tick up once he\u2019s no longer a two-way player, as both the velocity and power of his breaking stuff, which has high spin rates without huge movement, have potential for growth. He has no pitch for lefties and right now I don\u2019t see a valid out pitch for hitters even in the high minors.<\/p>\n

Hudson DeVaughan, RHP, Mooresville (Ind.) HS<\/p>\n

DOB: 1\/9\/2007 | Height: 6-5 | Weight: 200 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

DeVaughan\u2019s been up to 97 with a low-90s cutter and a rudimentary curveball, coming from a three-quarters slot, with a no-windup delivery and an extremely late arm. He missed most of last summer with a back issue and missed the final month of this spring with a scapula injury. He\u2019s committed to Alabama.<\/p>\n

Sean Dunlap, C, Crown Point (Ind.) HS<\/p>\n

DOB: 4\/11\/2008 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 205 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Dunlap is a very athletic catcher with power and speed, though he\u2019s probably a long-term project as a hitter and receiver. He starts with his hands very high and his swing is long, with a back-side collapse that gets him going uphill but does generate big loft to get the ball in the air. He showed a little more chase than you\u2019d want to see at showcases last year, but his in-zone whiff rate was just 13 percent, so the power does come with some contact skills.<\/p>\n

He does have an above-average arm and good hands, enough of a base to see him sticking behind the plate for a team willing to give him time and reps. He\u2019s committed to Tennessee.<\/p>\n

\"Tennessee's<\/p>\n

\n Henry Ford transferred to Tennessee for this season and showed more power but also more swing and miss. (Brianna Paciorka \/ News Sentinel \/ USA Today via Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Henry Ford, 3B\/OF\/1B, Tennessee<\/p>\n

DOB: 7\/27\/2004 | Height: 6-5 | Weight: 220 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Ford transferred from Virginia to Tennessee this year, setting a career high in homers with 20. That power improvement came at the cost of some contact and batting average, as he posted the highest strikeout rate of his college career (19.9 percent) and the lowest batting average (.293). He\u2019s a plus defender at first, below-average at third and capable in an outfield corner, even playing some center on the Cape.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an unorthodox swing, but he does make a ton of hard contact, with a 55 percent hard-hit rate on the year. If he makes better swing decisions \u2014 notably cutting down on his chase \u2014 he does still have the ceiling of a regular. He went undrafted in 2025 as a draft-eligible sophomore and will turn 21 in late July, so while he has a year of eligibility remaining, he really needs to sign if he wants to have a pro career.<\/p>\n

Owen Hull, OF, North Carolina<\/p>\n

DOB: 7\/21\/2004 | Height: 6-4 | Weight: 215 | Bats\/Throws: L\/R<\/p>\n

Hull transferred to UNC from George Mason this year, and slightly boosted his performance despite facing much stronger pitching than he did in 2025; his only dropoff was in steals, where he went from 42 for 48 as a sophomore to 18 for 23 this spring. He gets his hands in a good position to drive the ball and makes plenty of hard contact to hope for 20+ home run power in the future, but the swing is very flat and he hit the ball on the ground 53 percent of the time this season. He\u2019s probably an extra outfielder and a Day 2 pick, but there\u2019s some juice in there and someone has to at least try to help him get the ball in the air.<\/p>\n

Ethan Kleinschmit, LHP, Oregon State<\/p>\n

DOB: 5\/6\/2005 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 206 | Bats\/Throws: L\/L<\/p>\n

Kleinschmidt is a finesse lefty without a clear out pitch, throwing strikes (8.3 percent) with a four-pitch mix. His fastball is light at 91-93 and the slider is average, while his command is below his control and there isn\u2019t a ton of deception in his delivery. He\u2019d be interesting for a team that has a strong track record of boosting velocity and\/or improving breaking stuff, as he\u2019s been durable and there isn\u2019t much effort to the delivery.<\/p>\n

Deiten Lachance, C, Oklahoma<\/p>\n

DOB: 4\/18\/2005 | Height: 6-5 | Weight: 231 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Lachance increased his hand load in his set-up later in the season and started tapping far more into his in-game power, hitting 14 homers from May 1 onward after he hit just four prior to that. Spending the year as the primary catcher for the national champions will probably help his stock as well, although he\u2019s a fringy defender and probably profiles as a backup between that and his below-average swing decisions.<\/p>\n

Jace Mataczynski, SS, Hudson (Wis.) HS<\/p>\n

DOB: 3\/3\/2008 | Height: 6-4 | Weight: 195 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Mataczynski is an athletic but physically immature infielder from Wisconsin who shows excellent feel to hit right now, and could end up a plus hitter once he fills out more and develops more coordination. He\u2019s a potentially plus defender at short with at least a 60 arm already and good actions at the position. He\u2019s committed to Auburn and could be a first-rounder in three years if he goes there and gets stronger.<\/p>\n

Kaiden McCarthy, RHP, Vermont Academy (Chester, Vt.)<\/p>\n

DOB: 8\/6\/2008 | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 185 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

McCarthy is a six-foot right-hander with a solid delivery, coming from a higher slot with a mid-90s fastball and a very vertical slurve as his main secondary pitch. He\u2019s not that physical or projectable, and missed a few starts this spring, but he is more polished than many of his peers in this class. He turns 18 in August, having reclassified before the season. He\u2019s committed to Tennessee.<\/p>\n

Gary Morse, RHP, Orange (Calif.) Lutheran HS<\/p>\n

DOB: 6\/29\/2007 | Height: 6-8 | Weight: 209 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Morse tied a record for a single outing at this year\u2019s National High School Invitational with 16 strikeouts, throwing a one-hitter where he dominated opposing hitters with two pitches. He was up to 95 with 22 inches of vertical break on the fastball and showed a plus changeup with huge fading action. He doesn\u2019t have even a close to average breaking ball, however, and doesn\u2019t spin the ball that well to point to a future one. He\u2019s committed to Tennessee and would be sophomore-eligible for the draft in 2028.<\/p>\n

Jack Natili, C, Cincinnati<\/p>\n

DOB: 3\/10\/2005 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 198 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Natili got stronger this past offseason and reduced his leg kick at the plate, producing a breakout season where he tripled his previous high in homers while cutting down on his whiff rates. He\u2019s still too vulnerable in the strike zone, with a whiff rate above the Division I median this year, and he may not be able to catch up to better velocity. He\u2019s a below-average receiver and blocker with an easy plus arm.<\/p>\n

\"East<\/p>\n

\n Ethan Norby is the younger brother of Miami Marlins infielder Connor Norby. (Ben McKeown \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Ethan Norby, LHP, East Carolina<\/p>\n

DOB: 1\/27\/2005 | Height: 5-10 | Weight: 198 | Bats\/Throws: R\/L<\/p>\n

The younger brother of Marlins infielder Connor Norby, Ethan is a finesse lefty with plus control, coming from a slightly lower slot at 91-93 and working heavily with his low-80s slider. He\u2019s better against lefties, as he attacks righties too often with his slider and doesn\u2019t have the command of the slider to make it work, barely using his changeup. He hit 15 right-handed batters this year, 11 of those on sliders he tried to throw at their back feet.<\/p>\n

ECU badly overworked him in May 2025, having him throw 68 pitches in a start on May 20, then throw in relief on the 24th and the 25th, and then rolling him out for 116 pitches on May 30. They did it again this year, having him pitch four times in 10 days for a total of 242 pitches, including a 99-pitch outing on one day of rest. He could be a back-end starter, although I\u2019m concerned about the cumulative effects of all of that overuse, especially as he\u2019s on the smaller side.<\/p>\n

Alex Overbay, RHP, Arizona State<\/p>\n

DOB: 2\/6\/2005 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 220 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Son of former big leaguer Lyle Overbay, Alex spent his first year at ASU in the bullpen, pitched well enough to earn a shot in the rotation, but after one strong start he got rocked in three straight outings, then returned to the bullpen for the rest of the season. He gave up 19 earned runs in nine innings as a starter, and eight earned runs in 33 innings as a reliever. He\u2019s 94-96 with an above-average slider at 83-84, coming from a high three-quarters slot, and does go after hitters \u2014 maybe too much when he tried to start, as there isn\u2019t a clear plus pitch here. He\u2019s a solid relief pick for Day 2.<\/p>\n

Beau Peterson, 3B, Mill Valley HS (Shawnee, Kan.)<\/p>\n

DOB: 8\/3\/2007 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 195 | Bats\/Throws: L\/R<\/p>\n

Peterson\u2019s lost some steam since last spring, with several red flags popping up in the last 12 months to drop his stock. He\u2019s very strong and shows plus power already, while the hit tool lags behind. He can hit a fastball but gets handcuffed by breaking stuff, whiffing nearly half the time he saw those pitches at showcase events.<\/p>\n

Peterson has a plus arm and probably could stick in right field, as third base is a stretch, and he\u2019s a below-average runner who\u2019s going to get caught stealing too often to be of value on the bases. He\u2019s committed to Texas and could put up some showy power numbers there.<\/p>\n

Ruger Riojas, RHP, Texas<\/p>\n

DOB: 7\/12\/2003 | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 195 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Riojas is a senior who became a full-time starter for Texas this year and saw his stuff tick up for his age-22 season. He sat 94-96 with a low- to mid-80s changeup as his primary offspeed pitch; it got a 47 percent whiff rate, which is incredible, but didn\u2019t have the kind of life or movement you\u2019d expect from that performance. He also has a cutter and a little curveball, neither of which has great spin. He comes from a slot a little above three-quarters without a ton of deception to the delivery.<\/p>\n

Riojas could be a back-end starter, as he throws a lot of strikes and missed plenty of bats (35.5 percent strikeout rate) while playing in the best conference in Division I, but I think he\u2019s more likely a reliever with this arsenal. Perhaps, like many riojas, he\u2019s just improving with age.<\/p>\n

Dominic Santarelli, 1B, St. Joseph Catholic HS (Pleasant Prairie, Wis.)<\/p>\n

DOB: 10\/18\/2007 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 230 | Bats\/Throws: L\/L<\/p>\n

Santarelli is a power-over-hit high school first baseman from Wisconsin, so he has several points working against him already in the draft \u2014 geography, position and, most importantly, issues making contact at showcases. He has a very rotational swing and shows plenty of bat speed, but he glides over his front side and is vulnerable to stuff middle-away. He\u2019s committed to LSU.<\/p>\n

Cooper Sides, RHP, Orange (Calif.) Lutheran HS<\/p>\n

DOB: 11\/21\/2007 | Height: 6-5 | Weight: 215 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Sides is a strong right-handed pitcher who throws 95-96 with a power changeup and a sweepy slider, nothing plus right now, but with good control for a high school pitcher. His arm is fairly late and the slider might improve if he can get on time. There\u2019s plenty of projection on his 6-foot-5 frame, and if he\u2019s signable later on in the draft, he\u2019s an excellent candidate for a team with strong pitching development. He\u2019s committed to LSU.<\/p>\n

Jack Slightom, RHP, Lyons Township (Ill.) HS<\/p>\n

DOB: 4\/3\/2008 | Height: 6-5 | Weight: 215 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Slightom has a lightning-quick arm, hiding the ball well and coming at hitters from a tough arm slot below three-quarters. He\u2019s been up to 95-96 with big life on the two-seamer, working with an average slider and above-average changeup. He gets some of that power from his legs with a good stride toward the plate, though he spins off his front heel at release. He\u2019s committed to Cincinnati.<\/p>\n

\"Florida<\/p>\n

\n Ethan Surowiec made plenty of hard contact for Florida. (Alan Youngblood \/ Gainesville Sun \/ USA Today via Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Ethan Surowiec, 3B, Florida<\/p>\n

DOB: 6\/26\/2005 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 235 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Surowiec has a great swing and makes a ton of hard contact, with a hard-hit rate over 60 percent that landed him in the top 1 percent of all Division I hitters this year, even though it was his first full year in college ball after he barely played as a freshman at Mississippi. His surface stats weren\u2019t as impressive, with a .317\/.409\/.528 line and a 23 percent strikeout rate, as he\u2019s a little too dead-red of a hitter and chases more than he can get away with. There\u2019s definite upside in the bat, though, and he looks like he could stick at third base, making him a good target in the third-to-fifth round range.<\/p>\n

Alex Weingartner, SS\/RHP, St. Augustine Prep (Berlin, N.J.)<\/p>\n

DOB: 12\/13\/2007 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 198 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Weingartner is an excellent athlete whose physical tools exceed his present baseball skills. He has plus power, speed and arm strength, but a fairly mechanical swing that gave him trouble with regular high school pitching when I saw him this spring. He\u2019s also in the low-to-mid 90s off the mound and could stick at short with some work, with third base probably the worst position he\u2019ll end up playing. He\u2019d be a great upside play after the second round in a world where teams still had short-season leagues above the Rookie-level Complex leagues, but with those gone he may be better off going to Penn State.<\/p>\n

Dalton Wentz, UT, Wake Forest<\/p>\n

DOB: 7\/25\/2005 | Height: 6-2 | Weight: 215 | Bats\/Throws: B\/R<\/p>\n

Wentz has plus power and has made some modest improvements to his approach this year, although he\u2019s still a work-in-progress at the plate who needs to cut down on his chase rate (still 27 percent this year, 18 percent well out of zone) and find a position. He\u2019s played third, second, shortstop (not a realistic possibility for him in the pros), first and left field, with the last one probably the most likely scenario. If he can stay on the dirt, he could be a regular with his power.<\/p>\n

Luke Williams, SS, Franklin Regional HS (Murrysville, Penn.)<\/p>\n

DOB: 12\/17\/2007 | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 180 | Bats\/Throws: R\/R<\/p>\n

Williams is a very athletic outfielder who\u2019s a 70 runner and has some bat speed but whose hit tool lags behind the rest of the package. He takes a large stride in the box, sometimes getting too far out front and ending up off-balance, but other times getting to a good position to drive the ball from his lower half. He\u2019s a shortstop now and has the speed and arm to be a strong defender there, needing more consistency to stick, with center field the obvious backup plan. He missed most of the showcase circuit last year with an ankle injury. He\u2019s committed to Vanderbilt.<\/p>\n

Andrew Williamson, OF, Central Florida<\/p>\n

DOB: 7\/21\/2005 | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 195 | Bats\/Throws: L\/L<\/p>\n

Williamson is a strong data guy, with a 61 percent hard-hit rate and very strong exit velocities that may point to more power in the future, although his surface stats in the Big 12 this year were more good than elite, with a .322\/.442\/.645 line and 16 homers. He has excellent bat speed and swings hard all the time, getting to good velocity but whiffing a third of the time against anything beyond fastballs. He\u2019s a slightly above-average runner who\u2019s played some center field but is most likely a corner outfielder in the long run. Williamson won\u2019t turn 21 until 10 days after the draft, so he\u2019s on the younger side for a college prospect.<\/p>\n

Noah Wilson, OF, McCallie HS (Chattanooga, Tenn.)<\/p>\n

DOB: 6\/18\/2007 | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 195 | Bats\/Throws: L\/R<\/p>\n

Wilson has some big tools, notably his speed, but the most important one \u2014 the hit tool \u2014 is a bit lacking. He whiffed half the time he swung at non-fastballs at showcases last year, despite good bat speed, in part because he bars his lead arm and doesn\u2019t always get the bat head out in time. It\u2019s at least 70 speed and he will go out as a center fielder. He\u2019s going to get dinged in draft models for the whiff rates and because he\u2019ll be 19 in mid-June. He\u2019s committed to Vanderbilt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There will be more than 600 players selected in the 2026 MLB Draft. I have ranked the top…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":788131,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[485,495,3960,3966,3959,49,48,508,3961,3983,491,4021,490,1506,474,3962,487,3981,493,3965,462,475,3980,481,509,477,512,470,82,3982,480,3992,507,3968],"class_list":["post-788130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-arizona-diamondbacks","tag-athletics","tag-atlanta-braves","tag-baltimore-orioles","tag-boston-red-sox","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-chicago-cubs","tag-chicago-white-sox","tag-cincinnati-reds","tag-cleveland-guardians","tag-colorado-rockies","tag-detroit-tigers","tag-houston-astros","tag-kansas-city-royals","tag-los-angeles-angels","tag-los-angeles-dodgers","tag-miami-marlins","tag-milwaukee-brewers","tag-minnesota-twins","tag-mlb","tag-new-york-mets","tag-new-york-yankees","tag-philadelphia-phillies","tag-pittsburgh-pirates","tag-san-diego-padres","tag-san-francisco-giants","tag-seattle-mariners","tag-sports","tag-st-louis-cardinals","tag-tampa-bay-rays","tag-texas-rangers","tag-toronto-blue-jays","tag-washington-nationals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=788130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788130\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/788131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=788130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=788130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=788130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}