WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) -Coleman Borthwick, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound right-handed pitcher from South Walton High School, was selected in the first round, 21st overall by the San Diego Padres in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday.
Borthwick watched the draft surrounded by family and friends in Walton County. He is coming off his senior season at South Walton, where he helped the Seahawks claim the program’s first state championship.
Borthwick said the moment fulfilled a lifelong goal.
“It’s a very emotional point in time,” Borthwick said. “I mean, like, ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed of this moment of playing professional baseball, and it’s awesome.”
Nick Borthwick, Coleman’s father and South Walton head coach, reflected on his son’s work leading up to the draft.
“You know, the time that Coleman put into training and working was enjoyable,” Nick Borthwick said. “It wasn’t like it was a job. It was something that he loved to do. He loved playing. He loved working out. He loved hitting. He’s a kid at heart, and that’s the best way to play the game, I think.”
Coleman Borthwick will enter the Padres organization, which has affiliates in El Paso, San Antonio and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
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